The Beauty and The Lord
by ValeriaAnne
Summary: Rahl meets a girl who was kidnapped by his Mord-Siths.They seem so different and so similar in many ways. How will they affect the lives of one another?
1. What is your name?

**I DO NOT own "The legend of The Seeker" TV series or "The Sword of Truth" Novel Series. The novel series is owned by Terry Goodkind. GOD BLESS HIM :-)**

****Note: The events of this story take place after season two finale "Tears".****

**Chapter 1: What's your name? **

It was early morning when Darken Rahl woke up, feeling upset, displeased and annoyed. His last night was quite a mess. That woman they brought for him was not exactly what he expected. He expected something more...savage, but there was nothing special about it. He had to -literally- kick the woman out of his bedchamber and he threatened to kill the one who brought her once he woke up. Not only that, he also had a very strange dream that he couldn't understand; he dreamt that he was lost in a desert, thirsty, hungry, tired, so close to death, then, a girl appeared from the middle of nowhere. She was very beautiful. She walked towards him, leaned against him and kissed him. It was a sweet kiss that gave him his strength back. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, and when he opened his eyes, she was gone.

That dream really made him upset. It was meaningless. He hated the feeling of being lost even if it was just a dream. He needed something...or someone to refresh him. He decided to pay a visit to the Mord-Siths temple. He was pretty sure that they had all the experience they needed to cheer their beloved lord and make it up for him (based on years of self experience). Once he thought of that, a smile was drawn on his face. He got up from bed, walked to his bathroom. He washed his face and then he headed to his wardrobe to get dressed.

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><p>"Good morning, Mistress Brenda", he said, as she was standing in the hall where he was transported.<p>

"Good morning, my lord. What a sudden and unexpected visit!" Brenda said.

"I don't remember that I need your permission before I can come." Rahl said with a look in his eyes. A look of anger mixed with a bit of irony.

"Of course not, my lord. I didn't mean that. Please, accept my apology." she said, kneeling on the floor.

"It is alright, Brenda. But, remember, I am in a very bad mood, so don't try to upset me more than I am already." he said, looking at her with a look of threat.

"If my lord allows me, I will send for some of my sisters to help you get better. We are alive only to serve you". She said, still kneeling on the floor.

"Make it quick, I will be waiting for them at the bath." he said, smiling.

Brenda headed to get what Rahl ordered, while he headed to the bath. Once he reached it, he started taking his clothes off. Once he finished, he stepped in the bath, feeling the warmth of the water.

Brenda came back with three of her sisters, naked (all but Brenda) and beautiful and fierce. Exactly what Rahl preferred. The three Mord-Siths stepped in the bath, all looking at Rahl with eyes full of desire, lust and a silent agreement that they would do whatever he asked for just to please him.

Once they reached him, they started pouring water on his body with their hands, touching him in a certain manner that would make him moan. He closed his eyes, imagining that night when he would return to his bed with one of them, or maybe the three.

The next moment, there was a scream, a scream of a woman. Then a couple of moments later, there was another scream, and another and another. Rahl opened his eyes in astonishment. The others were shocked; no one knew the source of these screams. A few moments later, a woman appeared from the corridor, with half of her face covered in blood.

"Mistress Heather, what happened to you?", Brenda asked, still shocked.

"It is that bitch...SHE HIT ME WITH THE FOOD PLATE!" said Heather angrily, trying to sweep the blood.

"SHE HIT YOU?! HOW DARE SHE? AND HOW COULD YOU ALLOW SUCH A THING?".

"I didn't expect it. It was a sudden attack. But don't worry, she was punished for it. I touched her with the agiel until she was just one inch from dropping dead, and this is just the beginning."

Darken was still in a shock. He has never heard such screams in that place. The training of young girls didn't take place here. This was his place, his private place. His shock was mixed with anger for being disturbed, especially that his last night didn't go well and he really needed to relax.

A few moments later, Rahl looked at Brenda and Heather and said, "Would anyone of you kindly explain to me what is happening here? And who is that "bitch" who dared to hit one of my Mord-Siths and how could she do it? As far as I know, my Mord-Siths should be strong enough to protect themselves against such "attacks"? Actually, I find it very funny...EXPLAIN TO ME IMMEDIATELY".

Brenda took a step forward, and then she said, "Two weeks ago, we attacked a village named "Carden" to get some new girls to be trained. That was supposed to be very easy. We were about to leave with the girls when she appeared... asking for the girls or she will have to fight for getting them back. We thought she was crazy, I mean how could she challenge us knowing that we could kill her in no time? We didn't take her seriously but Heather was so upset that such a normal girl dared to challenge a Mord-Sith, so Heather simply accepted the challenge."

A few moments passed, while Rahl was looking at Brenda waiting for her to continue, but she didn't. She kept looking at him.

"Then, what happened?", he asked.

Brenda opened her mouth to answer but she couldn't speak. He was about to yell at her face when Heather took a step forward and said, "After I told that girl that I accepted the challenge, she drew her sword and..."

"She drew her sword? She had a sword?", he asked, surprised.

"Yes, my lord. I drew my agiels and she drew her sword and we started fighting, then..."

"Should I beg each one of you to continue? SPEAK, HEATHER." he screamed.

"I have to admit that what happened was out of my expectations. She was a very good sword fighter, she was fighting fiercely, although she couldn't wound me but I couldn't even get close enough to touch her with the agiel. It took me some time before I could get closer, but that's when something strange happened."

"Don't say she is immune to the touch of the agiel". He said sarcastically.

"No, my lord, she is not. However, the effect of the agiel on her is different."

"How is it different? Didn't she feel pain?"

"She did, my lord, but not like the others. It looked like she could handle the pain for a while before breaking down. The effect on the agiel on her is less than its effect on others."

Rahl kept looking at Heather, trying to find out if that story was real or not. He then signed at her to continue.

"When I touched her with the agiel and she felt its pain, she screamed for a few moments before... before holding it with her free hand (as her right hand was still holding the sword) and grabbing it from mine and throwing it on the ground, then..She stabbed me."

Rahl was in a great shock. He couldn't believe what his Mord-Sith was saying, yet, he preferred to listen to the story till it ends before commenting.

Heather looked at Brenda urging her to continue. Brenda said, "It was unexpected to all of us, my lord. We thought that she was just a showy girl who wants the people at her village to see her as a hero, or maybe she was related to one of the girls. We were sure that Heather would handle it very easily, and that's why we didn't interfere. But as soon as we saw that girl stabbing Heather, we ran towards her with our agiels in our hands and we didn't leave her until she fainted out of pain, then I revived Heather, and we decided to bring her here to punish her for what she did, especially that... We lost all the girls."

"That is just perfect. So, a village girl who is supposed to know nothing about life more than cooking and making love to her man, fought one of my "toughest" Mord-Siths and literally killed her, and she is also a little immune to the magic of the agiel. Oh, I almost forgot, she hit you with a food plate. And, above all of that...YOU LOST THE DAMNED GIRLS."

Rahl was beyond furious. His day was just getting worse. He was also surprised that such an incident took place. How couldn't Heather kill that girl since the first moment? She was supposed to be one of his strongest Mord-Siths. He was so sure of that, then what made things go differently this time? What is so special about that girl?

"Bring her to me, immediately.", Darken said, trying to keep calm.

"Who do you mean, my lord?", Heather asked with a look of stupidity in her eyes.

"The girl, Heather; the one who challenged you, killed you and hit you. GO AND BRING HER HERE, NOW", Rahl screamed.

Heather felt the anger of her master. She knew that he would punish her for that later. "Yes, my lord", she said.

Rahl closed his eyes trying to get relaxed while the three Mord-Siths in the bath continued pouring water on his body. Heather disappeared in the long corridor leading to the dungeon. A few minutes later, she returned back grabbing the girl from her arm.

"That's her, my lord." She said, smiling. She knew that the girl would be punished, too. She also might be Rahl's guest for the night, and what punishment could be worse than that for such "innocent" girls?

Rahl opened his eyes. As soon as he set his eyes on the girl, he could only admit that she was...gorgeous. Maybe the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. She had long black silky hair, green eyes, and her skin was white and seemed so soft though he didn't touch it. Her face was so calm and so fierce at the same time. Her features seemed...royal.

"She can't be just a village girl.", he said to himself.

She was looking at him with a look of fury and disgust that he couldn't mistake. He has seen that look on many girls' faces but it was always mixed with fear, but that was different. That girl was not scared, at all. On contrary, she seemed very strong.

"What's your name?", he asked her.

"Does it make a difference? All the girls are the same to you, existed for your pleasure, right?" she said, smiling in irony.

Heather drew her agiel to hit her, but Rahl pointed to her not to do it.

"So, you won't tell me your name? Fine. We can discuss that later... in my bedchamber", he said while looking at her trying to figure out the effect of his words on her. But, to his surprise, she didn't even blink.

It made him mad that he can't make her feel uncomfortable and scared, but he hid his feeling. She was upsetting him, standing in front of him, not scared at all, even after he implied that she would be his guest for the night. He wouldn't let her win. So, he thought of something else. Suddenly, he stepped out of the bath, naked. Brenda offered him a towel but he ignored her. He walked towards the girl, who looked away, feeling embarrassed that there's a naked man standing in front of her. Her embarrassment was shown on her face, and he liked it. He walked closer to her, almost an inch away. He leaned to her ear and whispered, "You can have it, tonight." He was about to kiss her on her neck when she suddenly looked at him and put her hand on his chest to push him away, "NO.", she said firmly, stepping away from him, still trying to keep her eyes away from his naked body.

Rahl took a step backwards, surprised. "What kind of woman is she?" he thought.

He signed to Brenda to hand the towel to him, and then he wrapped it around his waist. There was silence for over a minute. Rahl was thinking deeply, looking at the girl, then to Brenda and Heather, then back to the girl. He looked at the ground, and then he lifted his head, looking at Brenda, "Prepare her. She is coming with me.", he said, and then he looked at the girl, but still no change. This -no response- drove him crazy, he screamed, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? HER PERMISSION?"

Brenda grabbed the girl and pushed her hard that the girl nearly hit the wall. Rahl shouted, "Careful, Brenda. I want her one piece. She is no use to me dead, or wounded. I accept nothing but whole things."

"Of course, my lord." said Brenda, looking at Heather. They were both smiling.

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><p><strong>-I would really like to receive your reviews.<strong>


	2. Who Do You Think You Are

**Chapter 2: Who Do You Think You Are**

It was night when Darken Rahl reached the People's Palace, back from the Mord-Siths' temple, along with the mysterious girl. She was walking behind him, accompanied by a guard, who was pulling her arm. Rahl ignored her; he didn't exchange a single word with her since they left the temple as they returned back to the palace through ordinary roads (no blue flames). It was all a part of his plan to destroy her strength and kill her pride before reaching his bedchamber. He was looking forward to having a special night.

They kept walking till they reached Rahl's royal bedchamber, then Rahl turned to the guard and pointed to him to leave. The guard nodded in agreement, left the girl's arm, turned around and walked away. Rahl watched him till he disappeared, then he opened the door, looking at the girl, "Ladies first.", he said. She didn't move; she just kept looking at him with empty looks. He felt furious, but he kept it hidden. He pushed her inside and closed the door firmly. He looked at her and said, "I am trying to be gentle with you, but if you don't want it, fine, we can try something else, something harsher". The girl kept looking at him, and he couldn't understand what those looks meant. He thought at the beginning that she was acting, back at the temple, but she would drop the act once they reach the palace. He thought so because no sane girl would dare to do what she did on purpose. Maybe she was upset because of Heather. But, here they are, alone, at his bedchamber, and nothing changed, the same looks, the same silence.

He walked to the table beside the fireplace, grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses. He poured the wine in the two glasses while she was investigating the chamber with her eyes. He walked towards her, smiling, stretching his arm and saying, "White wine, my favorite one, not red, like everyone thinks". He waited for her to take the glass but she didn't. This time he couldn't hide it anymore. No woman has ever treated him that way. She was supposed to be scared, to be frightened to death, but she wasn't. Doesn't she know what would happen next? He casted the two glasses to the ground, and then he grabbed her two arms and screamed, "If you think this is going to help you, then you are wrong. You are just making me angry and this is not good for you."

She looked at him with a look of challenge, "I don't care".

Rahl couldn't stop himself, he slapped her very hard that she fell on the floor. He then grabbed her arm and forced her to stand up. He looked at her eyes and said in a low voice, "You are going to pay for what you just said, mysterious girl. I will teach you how to talk to your king. Just pray I won't punish you for all the other things you did since you challenged my Mord-Siths back at your village". He pushed her to the bed, and he took his upper robe off, he looked at her, "If you don't want to be treated gently, then I will give you what you want. Just be careful what you wish for".

He grabbed her arm and forced her to stand up again. He looked at her eyes for a few moments and then he said with a smile, "Would you like me to help you take off your dress or you are old enough to do it yourself?". She looked at him with a look of disguise and said, "You will not touch me. You won't have me but a dead body". Rahl laughed for a few moments before saying, "Really? Is that what you think? Fine, I have an idea. Why don't we bet? But I have to warn you, because I always win". He suddenly pushed her on the bed and leaned against her, trying to kiss her, but she fought fiercely. He tried to hold her still but he couldn't. She was really fighting with all her strength as she was really determined not to let him touch her. But this refusal made him more determined to have her. No woman has ever dared to fight him. How could she be so strong?

"No, I won't let her win, she is mine. They are all mine. I am Lord Rahl.", he said to himself.

He grabbed his dagger that he always kept at his belt and put it on her neck. The end of the blade was on her throat. She suddenly stopped moving. He smiled and said, "I told you, I always win". For a few moments, he was the winner, until she made a sudden move. She looked at him and moved up a little till the blade scratched her skin, and said, "I also told you, you will have me as a dead body. Only a dead body". Rahl looked at her, surprised. Was she going to let the blade penetrate her neck? Was she really going to kill herself only for not letting him touch her? He took the knife away, and then he stood up, still looking at her. He thought maybe it was better if he would leave her alone for the night. Tomorrow would be different. Then, he thought maybe he should let her go back home. In no time, he chose the second option. He walked towards the door when he suddenly stopped.

"NO.", he said loudly.

He turned to face her. She was still lying on the bed. He looked at her angrily and screamed, "NO, I will not let you win. No one dares to stand against me. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? The least maid in my palace is better than you. I will be back tomorrow. You'd better get prepared, because tomorrow, I won't hesitate to stab you with my knife if you don't comply with what I say". He opened the door, calling for one of the guards. The guard came in, waiting for what his master would say. Rahl kept looking at the girl till the guard said, "My lord? How can I serve you?".

Rahl looked at him, and said, "Take her to the eastern chamber".

The guard walked to the bed, but before he reached it, the girl stood up. He grabbed her arm and they walked towards the door, but before reaching it, she stopped, looked to Rahl and said, "My name is Isabella. Isabella Knight. And I am not a village girl".

She walked through the door without waiting for Rahl's response. But the fact is that, he didn't respond. He stood still, not knowing what to do. "Who is that girl?", he said.

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><p><strong>-Please, review. Based on your reviews, I will decide whether to continue this story or not.<strong>


	3. Take Over Control

**Chapter 3: Take Over Control:**

Once Isabella left with the guard, Rahl threw himself on his bed. He kept looking at the ceiling, thinking about what happened. "How could she look so cohesive and serene? How dare she challenge Heather? She wouldn't do that, unless she knew she could fight well, and it seems that she does. And the agiel...that's another mystery! How could she hold it with her hand? She is not pristinely un-gifted and she is not a mord-sith, then how?".

Rahl was so confused, especially at what happened when he put his dagger on her neck. He saw it in her eyes that she was really willing to kill herself if he tried to force her. All girls who were brought to him, against their will -who weren't many- tried to fight a little, perhaps to console themselves and to convince themselves that they tried to protect themselves but in vain. But she...she was not trying to prove anything to herself. On the contrary, she seemed to be proving something to him, that he would lose and that she was not like the others.

When Rahl reached this point, he rose up sitting on the bed. He couldn't allow anyone to mock him. No one dared to stand against him or violate his orders, then what about a normal girl? She must be insane or...insane. He couldn't find another word to describe her.

"No. This will never happen. She is mine, whether she likes it or not. I will have her, even if I have to train her and turn her into a mord-sith", he shouted.

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><p>In the eastern chamber, Isabella kept walking back and forth, thinking of a way to get out of that place. Actually, she was thinking of a way to escape from Rahl, although she knew that was impossible, but she was not willing to surrender to him. At the end, she realized that she must retain her strength and to get some sleep so that she could think clearly. She threw herself on the bed, hoping she could get some rest before tomorrow's battle. She tried so hard to clear her mind, but she couldn't. She felt that he will storm into the chamber at any moment. Besides, being forced to sleep at the People's Palace -even if she was sleeping alone- gave her a bad feeling. She finally said in low voice, "Get some sleep, Belle. It might be your last".<p>

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><p>It was early morning when Isabella woke up. She was used to waking up early. She got up from bed, and for the first time since the last night, she looked around to check the chamber; she couldn't deny that the chamber was very nice. It seemed that it was one of the chambers that Rahl would keep for his high-class guests. The queen-sized bed was covered with very soft red covers with yellow strips, and the pillows were of the same pattern. There was a big window near the right side of the bed with a table and two chairs next to it, and a big sofa lied near them. On the other side of the bed, a large dresser stood. On the opposite wall, there was a big fireplace with two chairs on both sides and some red cushions thrown randomly in front of it. On the other wall, there was a big wardrobe, and on its left, there were some bookshelves and a stuffed chair near them, while on its right, there was another wooden door. Isabella assumed it must have been the bathroom. Isabella wondered why Rahl would let her stay in such a nice chamber, then she shook her head and walked towards the window. She looked through it to the yard outside. She smiled, she couldn't deny that the sight was fantastic; the trees and the flowers, even the sky looked clear, it seemed that the weather was good. Suddenly, she remembered why she was brought here.<p>

Her smile faded, she walked away from the window and said, "Poisonous beauty". Moments later, she heard gentle knocks on the doors. Isabella knew that it couldn't be Rahl; he wouldn't knock first.

She said, "Enter".

A girl -about 18 years old- opened the door, carrying a tray of food. She smiled at Isabella and said, "May I come in?". Isabella stood still for a moment, "Is there anyone in this place who can talk politely?" she thought, and then she said, "Of course", smiling back at her. The girl walked into the chamber and placed the tray on the table beside the window, then turned to Isabella, "There are some dresses in the wardrobe and I can prepare the bath for you now if you want. Is there anything else you need?". Isabella looked at the girl for a few moments before saying, "Um...No, thank you". The girl nodded then turned to leave, but before reaching the door, Isabella said, "What's your name?". The girl turned around and said, "My name is Nyla, and I'll be at your service throughout your stay here". Isabella looked at her, surprised, "My stay!...anyway, thank you, Nyla".

Nyla left the chamber, and Isabella felt angry. "He has ordered a maid to be in my service for the 'duration of my stay here', so funny". Isabella was furious. He was already treating her as his mistress; a maid to serve her, dresses in the wardrobe for her, and maybe he has already bought a piece of jewellery for her. Isabella walked towards the table beside the window, "If I have to fight, I'll need energy". She sat on the chair beside the table, removed the cover of the tray and started eating.

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><p>At the same time, Darken Rahl was heading to the meeting hall to meet his commanders. He reached the hall, "Good morning" he said. The commanders responded, "Good morning, my lord". Rahl looked at them, and then he said, "I can't see Commander Garrison. Where is he?" Egremont leaned on Rahl's ear and said in a low voice, "He apologizes for not attending the meeting; he hasn't finished the task entrusted to him by you, not yet". Rahl nodded to Egremont, then looked at the commanders and said, "I have ordered to meet with you today to discuss some important issues. I have been away for a long time, but I am back now and I would like to be informed -in detail- about what happened throughout the period of my absence".<p>

Rahl spent hours talking with the commanders, discussing with them many issues. And when it was time for lunch, Rahl raised his hand, saying" Let us take a break and eat something". The commanders, including Egremont, kept looking at each other in surprise. Rahl noticed that, so he asked, "Is there something wrong?". They looked at each other again; no one dared to speak, until Egremont looked at Rahl and said, "No, my lord. Nothing is wrong. But you have never invited us to dine with you before". Rahl stared at them and then burst into laughing. After a few moments he stopped laughing -but still smiling- and looked at them and said, "Let's say I am following a new policy and approach".

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><p>After lunch, Rahl and the commanders continued the meeting till he felt exhausted. He looked at them and said, "I think that's enough for today. We shall continue tomorrow". The commanders stood up, saluted their lord and left the hall. Rahl stayed with Egremont discussing some points for the tomorrow's meeting. Once they finished, Egremont looked at Rahl and said, "I have heard that a new girl was brought to you". Rahl looked at Egremont for a while before he said, "And what is so special about that?". Egremont paused for a while, and then he said, "I heard about what happened between that girl and mistress Heather".<p>

Rahl looked at Egremont suspiciously, "How did you know? Heather won't say such a thing". Egremont smiled and said, "Not Heather, my lord. It is someone else. It seems that many mord-siths have been talking about it. It is a very strange incident". Rahl smiled back at Egremont, "Don't worry, Egremont. The girl will be punished for what she did ..for all what she did, but not now". Egremont looked confused, "Why not, my lord? She has to be punished quickly to be set as an example for anyone of those villagers who thinks about standing against your orders". Rahl -still smiling- said, "Be patient, Egremont".

Before Egremont could ask another question, Rahl left the hall. He headed towards his bedchamber. He was thinking about her, about what she was feeling at the moment. She was definitely not aware of his small plan; he was not going to go to her chamber for the next few days. He was not even going to meet her-even accidentally-. He was going to make her wait for him to come at any moment, just to comfort her from the torment of waiting. He was going to make her wish that he came. He knew more than anyone else what it meant to wait for something bad to happen. For him, that girl was no longer just a girl that was brought to him for temporary pleasure. It became a challenge for him.

**Please, review.**


	4. Just like I promised

**Chapter 4: Just like I promised:**

It's been four days since Isabella was brought to the People's Palace. During that period, Rahl didn't go to her chamber. Actually, he avoided seeing her. It was a part of his plan. It wasn't about pleasure anymore, it turned into a game. As time passed, Rahl no longer wanted to have fun, but he wanted to show her that no one could defeat him. "She started that. Let her burn with it", he said to himself while staying beside the fireplace in his bedchamber.

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><p>In the first two days, Isabella has been waiting for him to enter the chamber at any time of day or night, but with each passing day she was surprised that he did not come to her chamber. At the beginning she was confused and surprised, but then she felt angry. She was thinking why he was keeping her if he was not going to... come again like he said. It wasn't like she wished for him to come, but she couldn't understand his attitude. Was that his punishment for her for disobeying him?<p>

In the next two days, Isabella began to understand how he was thinking. She figured out his plan. She was not stupid or naive. She knew how men thought. When she came to that conclusion, she smiled and said, "So that's your plan, lord Rahl. You want to play. You really think that your plan will make me crawl to you begging you to honor me with your touch?!". She knew that men thought the same way whatever their statuses were; kings or farmers, rich or poor, good or bad. They were all the same.

During that period since she entered the eastern chamber, Isabella saw no one but Nyla -her maid- who was bringing her food, preparing the bath for her although Isabella tried to persuade her that she could do this herself; she was not a princess and she was not brought up in a royal palace, but all her attempts failed. Nyla always insisted on helping Isabella with everything. This nice attitude made Isabella suspect the girl. Either that girl was really nice and helpful or was ordered to be that nice to Isabella and gain her trust for some reason. Actually, Isabella still couldn't believe that such a nice sweet girl could work in such a place. However, Isabella preferred to give Nyla the benefit of doubt. They spent time in the eastern chamber -since Isabella wasn't allowed to leave that chamber- speaking about many things, but Isabella was very careful not to speak to her about anything personal. While she was alone, Isabella spent her time reading a book she chose from the small library in the chamber. The book was entitled "The History of D'Hara". Although she wasn't interested in knowing anything about D'Hara, but it was the only way to waste time when Nyla was not around.

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><p>It was midnight when Isabella heard knocks on the door. She was -as usual- standing by the window watching the stars. She knew it was Nyla; she was the only one who came to her chamber. Besides, she always knocked before entering. Isabella -still watching the stars- said, "Enter", expecting Nyla's question, "May I come in?" She always asked that question before taking one step into the chamber. A few moments passed, and Isabella didn't hear anything. She smiled and said, "What's wrong, Nyla? Have you finally stopped asking that question?".<p>

"It seems that you became friends with Nyla. I am glad you did". It was Darken Rahl.

Isabella recognized the voice. She looked behind to find him looking at her, smiling and leaning on the door.

"What's wrong, Isabella? Won't you invite me in?", he said.

"I don't think you need my invitation to get in", she said, trying to hide her fear.

He closed the door and walked towards her, smiling proudly; he was sure that his plan worked and that she was willing to give him anything he wanted. He looked at her and said, "Here I am...again. Just like I promised". Isabella looked back at him and smiled and said, "I remember that I gave you a promise, too. Do you remember it, lord?" Rahl stopped for a moment, he knew what she meant, but no, "She wouldn't do it, maybe she is just teasing me", he thought. He was judging the whole situation based on his experience. He took a few steps forward the bed, pulled his dagger and placed it on the bedside table, then he looked at her and said, "See, I am trying to be gentle...again. I am offering you a new start, with no punishment for all you did before. I give you something, and you will give something in return. I think that's fair enough".

Rahl wasn't really trying to be nice to her. He was just acting. He knew that women could be easily deceived by a nice word or a gentle touch. He has used that strategy before, and he found out that it always worked. But when she gave no response, he knew for sure that his plan failed. Suddenly, he ran towards her. She was taken aback by his sudden move and tried to move away but it was too late. He had already grabbed her from her waist and threw her on the bed. She tried to push him away but that time he was stronger. Suddenly, she stopped moving and it seemed that she realized that she would lose this battle. He smiled at her -a little surprised- and said, "Good girl. Good and smart, too. It is better to surrender now rather than shortly after where the loss will be more painful". But he couldn't think but that she was crazy. Her actions were always unexpected. But he was pleased that she finally gave in, and even if she was deceiving him and planning to run away, he ordered his guards to watch the door. So, practically, there was no way out. He got up from the bed, walked towards the fireplace, and took off his upper robe. He placed it on a chair near the fireplace, and then he leaned towards the fireplace to lit a fire. With his back to her, he smiled and said, "It's quite a cold night, unlike the spring's nights, but I am sure we won't feel cold tonight. Right, Isabella?" He waited for a few moments for her to answer, but when she didn't, he looked above his shoulder to see what she was doing. Once he set his eyes on her, his eyes gazed in surprise.

Isabella was holding Rahl's dagger to her belly, and looking at him with a look of disgust mixed with sadness and irony. Before he could say anything, she said, "You really thought I was going to surrender that easily. Actually I thought my plan would never work. As far as I know, you are very smart, lord Rahl. How could you possibly think that a woman who fought you a few days ago, would just crash under your feet now?". Rahl stood up, looking at her, "Your plan? How did you know ...?" He couldn't complete the question. How did she know that he would put the dagger away? There was only one explanation for that; she knew that he was going to act nicely and take the dagger away to make her feel comfortable and not scared of him. But how did she know? For a moment, he thought that she was a whore. Who understand how men think better than whores? But no, she didn't look like one, and if she was a whore, then why was she resisting him?

All those thoughts passed by his mind in a few moments, before he looked at her again, taking a few steps forward and laughing. "So you want to stab yourself? Fine, I don't mind. But... I don't think you can do it". This time, Isabella couldn't smile; she knew that she was going to die tonight. "Is that what you really think? That I prefer your company for death?". Rahl started to be angry, and he didn't care to hide it anymore. He walked towards her, stretching his arm and said firmly, "I believe that it is time to put an end to this stupid game. Now, give me that dagger".

Isabella screamed at him, "If you take one step forward, I will kill myself, I swear. Actually, I don't care about my life that much, so let's just finish it now". Rahl was about to take one step towards her, when she held the dagger tight and stabbed herself.

"NOOOOOOOOO", Rahl screamed, while watching her as she collapsed on the floor.

He ran towards her. He held her in his arms to see if she was dead or not. She was bleeding heavily. She looked at him and said in a low voice, "I am not like the others". That was the last thing she said before her head fell on his chest. Rahl was in a shock for a moment, and then he leaned to check her pulse. He carried her and placed her on the bed, and then he ran to the door. He opened it and shouted at the guard standing near the door. The guard ran to meet the orders of his master.

"My lord? How can I serve you?" the guard said.

"Get me Mistress Heather. Immediately", Rahl shouted at the guard.

The guard ran to fulfill his master's order, while Rahl walked back into the chamber and closed the door behind him. He walked towards the bed and looked at the dead body. That scene reminded him of memories he tried to bury years ago, and he thought he succeeded, but apparently he was wrong.

**Please, review.**


	5. Memories

**I don't own "The legend of seeker" or "The sword of truth'. However, the characters: Heather, Brenda, Isabella, Nyla and Alma are my own creation.**

**Chapter 5: Memories**

**24 years ago:**

Panis Rahl -disguised as the young shepherd- was lying in bed with Taralyn who was sleeping peacefully in his arms. He was remembering how and why they first met. It was a plan to fulfill the prophecy that said that he would sire another son that would kill his elder son; Darken. When he reached that point, he felt a tear descending on his cheek. "Oh, Darken. Why did you make me do that?" he thought. He felt so sad that he was participating in a plan that would end in his son's murder, and what made things worse was that his younger son would be the one to kill the elder one. He knew that he had to fulfill that prophecy to save his kingdom from the monster that his son has turned to, but he couldn't help that sadness and despair that swept him; sadness for the coming death of his son, and despair for not being able to do anything to help his son escape his horrible fate. It was also killing him that his two sons would have to fight till death instead of being raised together as any two normal brothers.

He kept remembering all the efforts he did to help Darken discover his good side but in vain. Darken was always drifted by his dark side; dark magic, torturing and killing people, hunger for authority and power. He talked to him many times trying to figure out what was wrong with his son. He tried to share with him some of the kingdom's issues, perhaps that would distract him and made him feel that a he was a responsible person and one day he would be responsible for a whole kingdom, but, unfortunately, all those endless efforts showed nothing but that his son was no more human; he turned into a beast that was willing to destroy the whole world if it would help him achieve a certain purpose. He felt more tears running down his cheeks as he remembered Darken as a child; he was an innocent child, eager to learn everything, smart, quick-witted , generous and loving, and he loved his father so much and always looked up to him. That was Panis's solace for the death of his beloved wife, giving birth to their son. At least she died after giving him such a beautiful child. "Where did all of that go? What changed you, Darken?", Panis kept asking these questions since he became sure that there was no way to undo the damages and help his son.

Then, he looked at Taralyn. She looked so beautiful. He couldn't deny that despite that their meeting was all planned, he had feelings for her over time, but he couldn't prevent himself from feeling guilty because he deceived her; he changed his looks, his identity, and his motives. It was all arranged; their meeting, their relationship, even her pregnancy. He thought about what she would do if she found out that he used her. She loved the shepherd, not Panis. That was another burden that he had to carry. He had to deceive a woman to make her carry his son who would kill his other son. The whole thing was killing him.

Panis looked again at her; she was putting one arm around his waist and her other arm was wrapped around her swollen belly. She was very happy when she knew she was with child, she was going to share a child with the man she loved. Panis was happy for her happiness but he knew that one day we would have to tell her the truth, he has been preparing himself for that moment since she told him about the child but he knew that no matter how hard he tried to prepare himself for that moment, it would still be the worst.

Panis felt a stream of tears running down his face. His whole life turned upside down since he found out about his son. For a moment, he felt it was his entire fault; maybe he shouldn't have asked Zedd to help him have a child in such an unnatural way, maybe that was the reason why Darken turned into that monster. Panis felt cursed, and that he passed it to his sons who would have to fight till death.

* * *

><p><strong>At the People's Palace:<strong>

Darken Rahl was walking in the garden, trying to find her. He tried many times to persuade her that they weren't children anymore, and they can't play "Hide and Seek", but she never listened. She loved having fun in every moment, day or night, and sometimes he had to admit to himself that he can't do anything but join her, it was all about being with her whatever they were doing. Maybe that's why he approved on playing "Hide and Seek" with her every time she asked him to. But that time was different; she sent him a message with a guard. The message was: "Find me", just two words. He knew she was going to hide in the garden, she loved to hide there. Actually, that was her favorite place in the palace. She once told him that she would sleep in the garden if she could because she loved it so much. "You are crazier than me", he told her once. He folded the paper and put it in his pocket and headed towards the garden. Once he reached the garden, he started walking slowly maybe he could notice her somewhere. He kept walking till he reached the middle of the garden where lilies were grown, and then he stopped; the grass was covered with a big pink blanket. On the blanket, there was a basket of food, a bottle of wine, two goblets and a lily. Darken smiled, and looked around but he couldn't see her. He was about to sit down on the blanket when a voice said, "So bad, Darken. I thought you were a gentleman. Shouldn't you wait for the lady to come?", she came from behind a tree, smiling, as always. He turned to face her, and he opened his arms for her. She ran into his arms happily and rested her head on his chest.

"I missed you so much, Darken", Alma whispered in a sweet voice.

"I missed you too, Alma. I missed you so much", he said, holding her tight.

They stayed like that for a few moments before he touched her chin with his fingers and raised it to look into her eyes. "You weren't there when I came back", he said sadly. She looked at him and said, "I am sorry, but you were supposed to come back tomorrow. When I knew that you would be back today, I rushed to prepare that surprise for you. It took me some time to get it well done. That's why I couldn't be there when you arrived". He smiled and said, "Well, if I like the food...and the wine, then maybe I can forgive you. But if I don't like them...".

"What will you do?", She asked, smirking.

"I will forgive you, too. I can't help it", he said, hugging her again.

"Now, let's go and eat before the food gets cold. I made it myself", she said.

"Oh, so now lady Alma did the food herself", Darken said, teasing her.

"Only for my lover, I will do anything", she smiled.

They sat on the blanket and she got the food out of the basket and he poured some wine in the goblets. He handed her a goblet then he raised his and said, smiling, "I would like to make a toast...for one year of pure happiness with you, and always with you". She looked at him and smiled back. She loved him very much. She was sure about her feelings towards him as well as his feeling towards her. She knew he wasn't lying to her and that he really loved her. Darken looked at her and said, "Alma? What? Won't you join me?" Alma mentally shook her head and smiled, "Of course I will join you, till the end of the world".

* * *

><p>The two lovers drank, ate and laughed. Darken told Alma about everything that happened since he left the palace to "Laven" till he came back. When he finished, he looked at her for a moment then he said, "What's wrong, Alma? Is there a problem?".<p>

"No, there is no problem. I am totally fine", she said.

"Don't lie to me. I can see it in your eyes. Something is bothering you", he said.

"Well...You're right. Something is bothering me. It's Demmin. How long will we keep it from him?" she asked in a low voice.

"Look, Alma...You know that I want to tell him about us, he is my best friend, but I am afraid that he won't believe me. I am afraid that he will think that I am deceiving you and that my feelings for you aren't real. You are different, Alma. You are not like any other woman I have met. I love you; it is the truth, so I am waiting for the right moment to tell him. Besides... I don't think you can get married without telling your brother".

"Get married? What are...", she asked, surprised.

Darken put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a red velvet box. He looked at Alma, opened the box and said, "Alma Nass, will you marry me?". He was smiling widely and her eyes were full of pure happiness.

Alma was speechless. She couldn't say anything. She looked at the box; there was a ring, with a red diamond in the middle. "Darken...how could... Are you serious?", she asked, breathless. Darken laughed and said, "Of course I'm serious". He took her in his arms, then he took her right hand tenderly and slid the ring in her finger. "Wait", she shouted. Darken looked at her, surprised, "What?". Alma looked at him, she raised her eyebrow and said, "Shouldn't you wait for my approval?". Darken smiled and said, "Why? Is there any chance that you will say 'No'?". Alma punched him slightly on his chest, "Don't be so sure of yourself". Darken looked into her eyes and said, "I am not so sure of myself. I am sure of your feelings". Alma suddenly shouted, "Oh, no!" Darken looked at her, worried, "What happened?" Alma said, "What about Demmin? How will you...?" Darken interrupted her saying, "Don't worry. I will tell him. Give me some time. Just don't tell him, okay? I will". Alma nodded. Darken smiled again and said, "Now, let's not worry about anything and celebrate our engagement. He gently pushed her to the ground and they started kissing.

"Master Rahl?".

Darken raised his head. A guard was standing near them. Darken looked at Alma who was so embarrassed that the guard saw them kissing.

Darken stood up and helped Alma stand up before asking harshly, "What do you want?". The guard swallowed then he said, "Lord Rahl wants to see you now". Darken looked at Alma then at the guard, "Fine", he looked again at Alma, "Wait for me here. I won't be late". Alma nodded while he walked away.

Darken entered the meeting hall where his father was waiting for him. Once he entered the room, Panis turned to face him. He was so furious. "What have you done in Laven, Darken? Who gave you the right to wander around killing innocent people? Who do you think you are?" Panis screamed. Darken looked at his father coldly for a few moments, then he said, "I am master Rahl, son of Panis Rahl, and I have the right to...". Panis interrupted him, screaming, "You have the right to what? Killing people?". Darken said calmly, "I have the right to make a decision in critical situations. The man wouldn't confess where he hid the stolen wheat, so I had to...". Panis interrupted him again, "So you had to kill his family, one by one, in front of his eyes to make him confess?". Darken started getting angry, "He is a thief, father". Panis shouted, "But his family members aren't, and even if he is a thief, he still doesn't deserve that. Why didn't you hand him to the judge? Why did you interfere in the first place?". Darken raised his eyebrow and said, "It was a big theft. It happened that I was there. Besides, he stole that wheat from battalion's store located there".

Panis was in a shock. He couldn't stand it anymore. He stood speechless for a while, and then he finally said, "It was right. I regretted it every moment but it was right. Every time I feel guilty you give me a reason not to. It is over, Darken...NO...You are not Darken. My son is dead. You are a monster who looks like him, and you will be punished for what you did to my son". Darken narrowed his eyes, "What are you saying?". Panis looked into his eyes, screaming, "Your end is near, monster. My son will kill you. He will avenge me, he will avenge every innocent person you murdered, as well as Darken who you buried deep inside you. Prepare yourself for your end, monster". Darken looked at his father, trying to understand, but he couldn't, "What are you talking about?". Panis was more than furious, he felt the anger overwhelming him, "My expected son, the one who will kill you, just like the prophecy said; I will sire another son who will kill my first son. It is over. There is no way out of your fate. My son will be born in a few months, and you should start counting your remaining days".

Darken stood speechless for a while, while Panis walked to the window, took a deep breath and said, "You don't deserve that kingdom. You don't deserve to be Lord Rahl. You have disgraced the Rahl's family. You have..." Panis stopped when he felt pain in his back running to his chest. It was Darken's sword that penetrated his father's body. Panis turned to face his son; his eyes were full of pain, emotional pain more than physical pain. He looked at Darken, but he saw no remorse, he saw hatred. He said in a very low voice, "How could...", he couldn't complete his question. He fell at Darken's feet, dead. Darken kept staring at his father's body for a while. He felt he couldn't breathe. He waited till he could breathe normally, then he opened the door and called a guard.

"Master Rahl. How can I serve you?".

"Send for General Trimack", he said.

As Darken was talking to the guard, a pair of scared eyes were watching from behind the other door that led to the meeting hall.

**Please, review. Writers like to receive reviews. I accept both positive and negative reviews, of course.**


	6. Past vs Present

**Chapter 6: Past vs. Present**

Seconds passed very slowly while Darken was waiting for General Trimack. Darken tried to avoid looking at his father's dead body, but he couldn't prevent himself from sneaking a look. He still couldn't believe what he just did. He wasn't thinking about what his father told him; about the prophecy, he was only thinking about what he did. It didn't take so long till Darken heard knocks on the door. Darken cleared his throat before saying "Enter". The door was opened and General Trimack stepped in, "Master Rahl, How can I..." Trimack suddenly stopped when he signed his gaze on the Panis's body; he kept gazing at the lifeless body until Darken said in a low voice, "Close the door, Trimack". It took Trimack a few seconds to understand the whole situation, and then he walked into the room, closed the door, still gazing at the dead body.

"Trimack...Trimack, look at me", Darken said. He tried to keep himself calm. He knew that the Generals could turn against him for what he did to their lord so he tried not to upset Trimack as he was a well known and beloved General and leader. Trimack looked at Darken, still in a shock, and said, "What did you do? ...WHAT DID YOU DO? HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? YOU JUST KI..." Darken interrupted Trimack by drawing his sword and placing it on Trimack's neck, he looked at his eyes and said in a low voice, "Keep your voice down, Trimack, or follow your former master". Trimack knew that it wasn't a good idea to upset Darken, especially at that moment. "What happened, Darken?" Trimack said in a low voice. Darken lowered his sword and turned to look at his father's body, "I want you to bury the body in the royal cemetery and announce that Lord Panis Rahl died "in a natural way" and that I am, Darken Rahl, son of Panis Rahl and his heir to the throne, have become the new lord Rahl, lord of D'Hara".

Trimack couldn't stop himself from asking the same question again, "What happened, Darken?" Darken turned to face him, he kept looking at him coldly for a few moments before he said, "Lord Rahl. That's my new title that you should name me with". Trimack knew the truth, he knew about the prophecy and all what Panis did to fulfill it. He also knew that the woman that Panis met was Taralyn Zorrander, as well as knowing that she was with Panis's child, and that it won't be long before she gives birth to the expected child.

Darken kept looking at Trimack for a minute before he said, "You don't have the right to question your lord". Trimack looked at him with compassion and said, "Darken, I am not..." Darken interrupted, screaming, "LORD DARKEN RAHL..THIS IS MY TITLE", then he approached Trimack and whispered in his ear, "Say 'Darken' again, and the next moment, you will be enjoying the company of your former master...in hell". Trimack looked at Darken for one moment before he knelt and said, "Lord Rahl...how can I serve you?" Darken took a deep breath and said, "Do as I said; bury the body and announce his death". Before Trimack could say anything, Darken stormed out of the room and headed to his room. Once he entered his room, he slammed the door and rushed to the mirror. He felt like he has been running for so long, he couldn't breathe like there was a stone on his chest. He kept looking at himself, surprised. He knew that he has gone so far with dark magic, he knew that he did bad things to reach what he wanted, but killing his father...he never thought of that. When he reached that point, he felt that guilt and remorse was eating him alive, then he remembered what his father told him;

"You are not Darken. My son is dead"

"Prepare yourself for your end, monster"

"I will sire another son who will kill my first son."

His father's voice was screaming in his head, he couldn't stand it anymore. Suddenly, he broke the mirror with his fists, screaming, "You chose that. You led me to what I did. Am I not your son?...Fine...THEN YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER AS WELL". Darken felt exhausted. He sat on the edge of the bed, looking at his injured hands. He stayed like that for some time before he suddenly said, "Alma!"

He rushed to the garden, to the spot where she was waiting for him. Once he reached it, he looked around, but he couldn't find her. The blanket, the food and the wine were there. "Alma", he said. He knew she loved hiding. "Alma, get out, there is no time for games. I have to talk to you", still no answer. He headed towards the main gate of the palace.

"Master Rahl, how can...", the guard asked.

Darken interrupted, "Have you seen Miss Alma Nass?".

"Yes, master. She left a while ago", the guard answered.

Darken looked at the garden for a moment, and then he said, "Bring me my horse".

The guard went to the stable to bring the horse, while Darken was thinking, "Why did she leave?"

The guard came back with Darken's horse. Darken rode the horse and flew to Nass's house.

Darken reached Nass's palace in a short time. The guard instantly opened the main gate for him. He got off his horse and rushed to the palace. Alma's maid met him at the palace's entrance.

"Master Rahl...General Nass is not..."

"Where's Alma?".

"Al...My mistress is at her bedchamber".

"Show me her chamber".

"I can go and call her..."

"I said SHOW ME HER ROOM", he screamed.

The maid helplessly showed Darken the way to Alma's room. Once they reached it, Darken looked at the door and said to the maid, "You can leave now". The maid said in a low voice, "Master Rahl...you can't enter..." Darken looked at her angrily, "Leave". Darken waited till the maid left the hallway, then he knocked the door gently, "Alma...Alma, open the door". He waited for a few moments, but he heard no answer. He opened the door quietly, and looked around, and then he saw her, lying on the floor, covered in blood and a dagger lying beside her.

"NOOOOO", he screamed.

He ran to her, held her in his arms. He checked her breath but there was none. "No, Alma. This can't be happening. Who did this to you?", he couldn't prevent that tear that descended on his cheek. He rushed out of the room and went to the palace's entrance. He shouted at the guard standing there, "Go to the People's Palace now, and find Mistress Glenn. Tell her I need her here".

The guard rushed to the People's Palace, while Darken went back to Alma's room. On his way back, he saw her maid. He shouted, "Did Alma meet anyone?" The maid said with fear, "No, master. She came back and went directly to her chamber". Darken narrowed his eyes, and then continued his way to Alma's room. He entered, went to her, carried her and put her on the bed. He noticed a piece of folded paper in her left hand. He took the paper, looked sadly at Alma, and then he opened the it.

"_**I never imagined that the happiest day of my life would be the worst, too. How could you deceive me all that time? How could you act like an angel while in fact you are a monster? I saw everything. I heard everything. I knew something was wrong and I followed you. I wish I hadn't, but if I hadn't followed you, I would have been living in that lie till the end of my life. How could you be so cruel? And how couldn't I notice it? Were you wandering in towns killing people? And even if you could do that, how could you do it to your father? How could you stab him in the back?**_

_**At first, I didn't believe what I saw, but then I couldn't deceive myself anymore. What I saw was real as well as what I heard. I can't believe I loved you. I can't believe that I shared my happiest moments with you...but, no. You father was right; Darken is dead...you are not him. You can't be him. And now I am going to meet him and we will be together forever. And you, I hope you rot in hell for what you did**__**".**_

Darken was speechless. He read the letter over twenty times. Now he understood; no one did that to her, she killed herself. She saw what he did, and she couldn't stand it. He felt paralyzed, his beloved died because of him. But, no, he will get her back. He will explain everything and she will understand that he didn't mean to kill his father. He was furious. His father wanted him dead, what else he was supposed to do?

Mistress Glenn arrived at Nass's palace. The guard led her to the hall, that's where she saw Alma's maid. "Where's Master Rahl?" The maid said in a shaking voice, "At Miss Alma's chambers". The maid showed Glenn the way to the chamber. Once they were there, Glenn knocked. Darken cleared his throat and shouted, "Who is there?" Glenn said, "I am Glenn, master. I was informed that you need me to come". Darken said, "Enter...alone". Glenn looked at the maid and raised her eyebrow. The maid took a few steps back then she turned around and ran. Glenn opened the door, entered and then she closed the door. Once she saw Alma's body and the dagger at the floor she narrowed her eyes but said nothing. Darken said, without looking at her, "Revive her". Glenn walked to the bed and leaned to check Alma's body for a couple of moments, and then she said, "I can't revive her". Darken looked her angrily, "Are you defying my orders? How...?" Glenn said quickly, "Of course not, master. I can't revive her because... the dagger penetrated the Trachea. It is broken. She can't be revived". Darken looked at Glenn, his eyes were wide open, then he looked at Alma. "You are not coming back?" he whispered. There was silence for a while before Darken said, "Make sure no one says anything about my advent here, especially the maid". Glenn nodded and said, "Yes, master". Glenn left the chamber, and Darken looked at Alma's right hand and saw the ring. He took it off and put it in his pocket.

* * *

><p>"Lord Rahl...Lord Rahl".<p>

Darken trembled and looked above his shoulder. It was Heather. He swallowed and said, "Revive her". Heather hesitated for a moment then she walked to the bed, leaned to give Isabella the breath of life. Isabella gasped for air, while Darken was watching. Heather walked and stood by the door while Isabella sat on the bed, looking at Darken. She was thinking how foolish she was, she should have thought that he would use a mord-sith to revive her, but she had no other choice, that time he was going to win no matter how hard she fought. He was stronger than her. She kept looking at him, scared. She did everything she could and she was still his prisoner, and she knew that this time he was going to treat her badly.

Darken was looking back at her, but he wasn't thinking about what she was thinking. He was thinking of the similarities between Alma and Isabella. They were both beautiful, very beautiful. They both killed themselves -with a dagger- because they refused to be with him. But there were differences as well; Alma killed herself because she loved him, while Isabella killed herself because she hated him. Also, he got Isabella back, but he couldn't get Alma back.

Isabella saw how Darken was looking at her, but she couldn't understand. Sorrow, sadness, regret, confusion...she read all those impressions in his eyes but she didn't understand. He kept looking at her for a while that she felt embarrassed and looked away. Finally, he took a deep breath and said, still looking at Isabella, "Take her back to the temple". Isabella looked back at him and narrowed her eyes. "Is that a new game?" she thought. Heather smiled and said, "Yes, Lord Rahl". Darken saw Isabella's look at him, her eyes were asking, "Why?" He looked at Heather then he stood up and left the room. He kept walking till he reached the garden. It's been years since he came to the garden. He couldn't enter it since Alma killed herself. He never dared to come to her favorite place. The guilt was too much, even for him. He stood at the garden's entrance then he decided to walk in. He kept walking until he reached the lilies.

**Review, please.**


	7. Back to Reality

**Chapter 7: Back to Reality**

It's been a week since Darken sent Isabella back to the temple. Since that night, he went every day to the garden, walked to where lilies were grown and spent some time there, drowning in his own memories. He couldn't think of anything but Alma. He tried to remember every moment they shared, every kiss, every smile of her, every dress she wore, every place they went to, her favorite food and wine, her favorite color and book, every time she said 'I love you, Darken'. Oh...how much he missed her voice, how much he missed his name when she said it, and how much he wished the guilt go away, but in vain. No matter how hard he tried to remember all the happy times they shared together, his mind jumped to that day when she killed herself, to that scene where she was lying -motionless- on the floor, to the devastating letter that she wrote. When he reached that point, his mind -involuntarily- always made a comparison between Alma and Isabella. Although Isabella seemed stronger than Alma, as Alma was brought up in a palace, daughter and sister of D'Haran generals, and knew nothing about hard life, and probably Isabella "the normal girl" knows more and had more experience (which was very obvious every time he met her), but now, after Isabella's accident, he could only think of her as the ghost of his dead beloved. He could no longer think of Isabella as he used to. He could no longer force her to join him in bed. He felt that he couldn't touch her anymore, like there was something standing between them. Alma was standing between them. That's why he sent her back to the temple.

Darken couldn't also escape the feeling of guilt towards his friend, Demmin. When Demmin returned from his trip and found out about the death of his sister, he was furious. He loved his young sister very much, and when he found out that she killed herself, he went ballistic, he was sure that someone must have done something bad to her so that she could kill herself. He knew his sister very well; she was funny, always smiling, and always optimistic, so something bad must have happened, but Darken never dared to tell his friend the truth. He hid the suicide letter from him, and he never told him that they were dating or that he was the one who discovered her dead body, and of course he never told him about what really happened to his father, Panis. He was ashamed of himself because of all that pain he caused to his best friend, maybe that's why their friendship became closer over the years; to soothe his own pain, Darken tried to give Demmin everything; high ranks in the army, servants, gold, houses, land, but he couldn't give him a sister. Demmin never knew the truth, and when he died, Darken wished he had told him the truth but it was too late. It was the least thing Demmin deserved after a long service for the house of Rahl and being a faithful friend, especially that he died trying to find the one of the boxes of Orden, and he was never forced for being loyal to Darken.

During that week, Darken tried so hard not to think of Isabella. He tried to be occupied with his responsibilities and duties, solving a problem here or fix a disaster there. He tried but in vain. He promised himself every night that he wouldn't go back to the garden the next night but he never kept his word. When night came, he always found himself being drifted into the garden, thinking about Alma, which led consequently into thinking about Isabella, and that's exactly where he would return back to the most important question: who was that girl?

* * *

><p>Darken was lying in his bed. He couldn't sleep, as was usual in the past few days. He was staring at the decorated ceiling. Unusually, he wasn't thinking about a specific thing; just unclear images, then a big picture invaded his mind; the photo of his mother. Actually, he never saw her; she died a few days after he was born because of birth complications as giving birth to a child who was made by magic wasn't easy, but he drew a picture of her out of his father's description; she was tall, slender, and beautiful, with long brown wavy hair and brown eyes like the color of honey. Although Darken rarely agreed with his father about anything, he couldn't deny that his father loved his mother very much even after she died and unlike what Darken thought, Panis never blamed his son for her death. Another image suddenly showed up in his mind, he got up, walked to the wardrobe. He opened it and took a closed chest. He opened the chest and took the red velvet box that lied inside. He opened it; the red wedding ring was still shining.<p>

* * *

><p>"I need to speak to Lord Rahl, immediately", Heather said impatiently.<p>

Egremont sighed and said, "You can't come in now, mistress Heather. Lord Rahl has no wish to meet anyone right now".

Heather stepped closer to Egremont and said in a low voice, yet firm, "I have to speak to him, right now. It is an emergency".

Egremont rolled his eyes, then he looked at Heather and said, "All right, mistress Heather. I will inform him that you wish to speak to him. You may wait in the meeting hall".

Egremont disappeared in the long wide corridor that led to the royal bedchambers. Once he reached Rahl's bedchamber, he knocked the door. He heard Rahl from inside saying, "I think I made myself clear when I said that I wish to speak to no one, Egremont". Egremont hemmed for a moment before saying "It's mistress Heather, my lord. She says it is an important matter and she needs to speak to you". A few moments passed before Rahl opened the door and said, "I hope -for your sakes- that this matter IS important". Egremont swallowed and stepped aside, he knew that his master was in a very bad mood for the last few days but he didn't know why and he never dared to ask.

* * *

><p>Rahl entered the meeting hall, and before Heather could say anything, Rahl said, "What is that important matter, Heather?".<p>

Heather felt that her master was on fire, so she said quietly, "It's Nicci, my lord".

Rahl looked sharply at Heather and said, "What about her?".

Heather swallowed and said, "She tried to end her own life", and before Rahl could say anything, she said, "But she is fine, my lord. That girl stopped her before she could lose her life".

Darken narrowed his eyes and said, "What girl?".

Heather raised her head a little and said, "Isabella, my lord".

Darken looked at Heather suspiciously. He couldn't buy it; Isabella saving Nicci from death, so ironic. Darken felt an instant rage overwhelming him, suddenly remembering how Nicci was important to him, "And how could she try to kill herself? I said: no knifes, no forks, nothing sharp, not even a metal plate, then how did she do it?", he shouted.

Heather swallowed and said, "She bit her wrists, my lord".

Darken stood still for a moment then he laughed a short laugh and said, "Well...that's original. Nicci could be very creative sometimes". He walked to the window and looked through it. He knew he needed a wizard to help transfer Nicci's Han to him. Her Han was the most powerful and he needed it, but where can he get a wizard now?

Darken turned to face Heather and said, "Go back to the temple. I shall pay you a visit tonight".

Heather nodded and turned around but before she could reach the door, Darken shouted, "Mistress Heather?".

Heather turned and said, "Yes, my lord".

Darken approached her and said, "It seems that things are getting out of your control and I won't allow that to happen again. I think I am making myself clear...oh, and don't forget to deliver my message to your sisters".

Heather looked at him for a moment, and then she swallowed and said, "Of course, my lord. We will never fail you again".

Darken signed for her to leave. Egremont was about to say something, but Darken wouldn't let him, "Now now Egremont. Whatever you wish to say, it can be postponed till I finish my visit to the temple". Egremont nodded and said, "As you wish, my lord", and then he left to arrange for his lord's visit to the temple.

* * *

><p>"Welcome back, my lord", Heather said in respect.<p>

Darken looked at Heather and the other mord-siths before saying, "Where is she?". Heather said, "At her dungeon, my lord...and she is not alone. Dahlia is with her". Darken smiled and said, "Well done, Heather. I can see that my message has been delivered in a very effective way". Heather nodded and smiled. Darken walked till he reached Nicci's dungeon, where a mord-sith was standing by its door.

"Open the door", he ordered.

She opened the door and he walked in, smiling, "Nicci. My trouble-maker friend, Nicci". Nicci looked at him weakly, "To what do I owe the pleasure? I didn't know I was that important to you, Rahl. Did you come here just to check on me? That's so touching, but it certainly doesn't change anything", she said sarcastically. Darken walked to her and leaned on his knees near her, "Of course, Nicci. You are very important to me", then he smiled and said in irony, "It breaks my heart that you think about me like...", before he could finish his sentence, she spit on his face, "Drop the act, Rahl. Who do you think you are talking to? I understand you more than any other person in the world. Do you know why? Because we both reached the same level of power and ambition. We are no better than each other. We are the reflection of each other; I can even feel that...thing on your face".

Darken was beyond angry, but he kept his face plain. He wiped the spit with his red handkerchief, stood up and said calmly, "Sooner, Nicci, I will be better than you. Do you know why? Because you will be dead, suffering an eternal torment by the hands of your former master". He looked at her face for a few moments before he kicked her with his foot, then he turned to leave. Before the door was closed behind him, he heard her saying, "You will never find a wizard to do your dirty work, Rahl. It is better for you to kill me right now". Darken stood still for a few moments, then he said, "Keep an eye on her, Dahlia", and before he could hear her reply, he rushed out.

"Keep her alive, Heather. This is your mission", he said once he saw her.

"Of course, my lord. I assure you that I wouldn't let you down this time", she said.

"I hope so, for your sake. I shall leave now".

He took a few steps, and then he stopped for a few moments. He then turned to Heather and said, "I need to see Isabella, immediately".

Heather looked at him in surprise, but she nodded and said, "Yes, my lord. I will go fetch her".

Darken waited for Heather in the hall. He thought whether it was right or wrong to call for Isabella. He didn't know if he really wanted to see her or not, but it was too late. He heard footsteps coming. He turned around, but as soon as he eyes fell on Isabella, he narrowed his eyes. Isabella was in a huge mess; her sleeve-less dress was half torn, her bare arms were bruised, and there was dry blood on her face, mainly on the forehead and the lips. When Heather grabbed her towards him, he noticed that she was limping.

"What is this? What happened to her?", he asked, trying to sound calm.

Heather narrowed her eyes and said, "She was -as usual- defying my orders, my lord. She needed to be punished for that".

Darken kept gazing at Isabella, then he burst out, "Who ordered you to do that? Who ordered you to lay a finger on her?".

Heather was taken aback, she never expected her lord to be furious because she tortured someone, especially if that "someone" was defying both their orders. "My lord, when you ordered me to take her back to the temple, I thought...".

Darken interrupted her, "You thought what, mistress Heather? When did you start doing anything without my permission? You are all growing weak and inefficient, and maybe I SHOULD KILL YOU ALL".

Heather knew that this wasn't going to end in a good way, "But, my lord, you...".

Darken screamed, "SILENCE".

Darken looked at Isabella. She was looking at the ground, leaning on the wall as she couldn't stand well. He approached her, and she lifted her head to look at him. They kept looking at each other for some time, but that time she didn't look away, she didn't feel uncomfortable with his looks, she didn't feel embarrassed. She was determined to find out what he really wanted from her. Moments passed before he said, still looking at her, "She is coming back to the palace with me". Isabella kept looking at him; the blank look on her face didn't change. She didn't flinch, she didn't look surprised, she just kept looking into his eyes. He offered her his arm to lean on, she looked at the ground for a moment, then she laid her arm on his, and they walked through the door, back to the People's palace.

_**Please, review. Your reviews encourage me to continue the story. I have the whole story in my mind, but you reviews might persuade me to change some events :-)**_


	8. Undo the Pain

**Note: I am so sorry it took that long to publish this chapter. I was so busy with my mid-year exams and other stuff, too**.

**Chapter 8: Undo the Pain**

Darken and Isabella arrived to the People's Palace a while later. Through their way back, not a single word was spoken. Darken kept looking at her every now and then, while she tried not to meet his eyes. She tried to keep herself busy by looking through the window of the royal carriage that took them back to the palace, trying not to show that she was in pain because of her injuries, and also in fear.

Once they reached the palace's entrance, the driver jumped to open the carriage door for them and Darken stepped out of the carriage then turned and offered his arm to lean on...again, and she accepted his offer, again. Darken walked slowly because of her ankle injury. He was silent, calm and so gentle and that attitude scared and alerted her; It wasn't him.

They walked silently till they reached the eastern chamber; her chamber. Although Isabella was in pain and felt dizzy, she tried to stay focused and alerted just in case Rahl tried to use her weak condition to his own advantage. Once they reached 'her' chamber, he opened the door and waited for her to enter, but she stood still. He knew that she was afraid of him. Before he could think, he said, "There's nothing to be scared of. I won't hurt you".

She gave him the "And why should I believe you?" look, but she had no choice. She was too weak to protest or even say one single word. She walked in, still leaning on his arm. He led her to the bed, where he helped her sit on its edge. He took a few steps backwards, still looking at her, and said, "I will be back in a while", and then he left the chamber.

A while later, Rahl came back, carrying a covered tray. He carried the tray himself because it wouldn't be appropriate if the maids found that he was taking care of someone by himself. When he came in, he found Isabella sitting in the middle of the huge bed, barefoot, massaging her swollen ankle. She looked so delicate, lying in that queen-sized bed. Once Isabella saw him, she stopped and stared at him. He stood by the door for a few moments, and then he walked to the bed, placed the tray on the near-by table, and then walked to the door to close it. He stood there for a while, watching her looks at him. Rahl knew that he had to say something, but the whole situation was strange. He couldn't find any word to say, so he just said, "Are you still in pain?". Isabella smiled ironically, without looking at him and said, "Thanks to your mord-siths".

Rahl bit his lower lip, but he didn't respond. Actually, he was surprised of his own attitude towards that girl. Being patient with her was surprising and annoying him at the same time. He walked to the table, took the tray and placed it on the bed and sat by the edge of the bed, on Isabella's left side. He uncovered the tray and Isabella saw what was on it; two bowls of water, a small plate of creamy white substance, some strips of linen and some pieces of cotton. He took a piece of cotton and immersed it in water then he stretched his arm to swab the blood on her forehead but she wore her head back sharply. Rahl looked at her and said in a calm, yet firm voice, "I will not do anything to you. I will only swab the blood off your face". When she said nothing in return, he approached her and started swabbing the blood. Once he touched her face with the cloth, she trembled and bit her lips in pain, and pressed her hands against her thighs but she made no sound, so he tried to be careful, but it was still hurting her a lot, as he knew what his mord-siths were capable of, but he was surprised that she was determinant not to make any sound although she was in severe pain.

"I was told that you saved Nicci".

Isabella looked at him, narrowing her eyes, "Nicci, who is...Oh, that woman, her name is Nicci?".

"You really don't care about names. You don't know the name of the woman you saved?", he said smirking.

"Names are not that important when actions can describe a person better".

Darken raised his eyebrow, and said to himself, "She is a very good utterer".

"...Besides", she continued, "any person who happens to be your prisoner deserves a better treatment".

Darken smiled and said, "You don't know who you are talking about. If you really knew who that woman is, you wouldn't be at her side".

"I know she is a bad person. Evil isn't something that can be hidden that easily; it was in her eyes, even when she was dying, but being your prisoner means nothing but that she is less bad than her captive. Besides, she was dying, I think it would have been a little rude to stop and think whether I should save her or not. I wouldn't care about her being a good person or not".

"Does that mean that if -one day- you found me dying in front of your eyes, will you try to save me?", Darken asked calmly.

Isabella narrowed her eyes; she asked herself, "What kind of a question is that?". She didn't know what to say, and at the moment, the last thing she wanted was to upset him, "I am sure you don't need any help to be saved from death. I mean, you died over a year ago and everyone knew it, but here you are. Lord Darken Rahl has beaten the death and came back, and I guess you needed more than a normal person like me to help you with that".

"Well, you are definitely not a normal person", he said to himself.

While Rahl was swabbing the blood, he took a look at her left hand and he narrowed his eyes; the light skin on her left pinky, the mark of a ring, a ring that she no longer wore. He put the cloth soiled with blood in the second water bowl and said, not looking at Isabella, and trying to sound calm, "Are you married?". Isabella looked at him for a few moments then she raised her head a little and said calmly, "Does it matter to you whether I am married or not? Does it make any difference? Wouldn't you try to rape me if you knew I was married?". Darken looked at her while squeezing the piece of cloth with his hand, trying to control himself. He took a deep breath, and then he said coldly, swabbing her face again but a little harsher, "You are right. It doesn't make a difference".

Rahl threw the piece of cloth on the tray and took another one started swabbing the blood on her arms. Isabella kept looking at him suspiciously then she finally said, "Yes, I was married". Darken continued what he was doing, while looking at her and smiling ironically, "were married?...What? Did you run away from him?". Isabella looked away and said, barely smiling, "No...he ran away from me". Darken narrowed his eyes, still smiling, "Ran away from you? And how could he run away from...?". Isabella interrupted him with a sad smile, "He is dead".

Rahl's hands froze. He knew that look on her face; he has seen that look before in the mirror, on his face, the day he lost Alma. Silent moments passed, then he swallowed and said, "Do you...do you have children?". Isabella looked at him for a few moments, and then she said, "No, I don't". Darken took a breath, then he threw the piece of cloth on the tray and took another clean one. He immersed it in clean water, saying, "So, what was his name?". Isabella said, while looking away, "Daniel".

"Daniel Knight?".

"No".

"So…You are not using his name? Was he that bad to you that you decided to use your maiden name? Did you hate him that much?".

Isabella looked at him sharply and said, "I am using my maiden name because every time I hear his name, I remember someone I lost, someone I loved so much and he is no longer here, with me". Darken looked at her, but he couldn't see her face; all he could see was Alma's. It was driving him crazy.

"Is that's why you took off the ring too?", Darken said, smiling ironically. He was trying so hard to upset her for no reason, maybe for reminding her of Alma, for reminding him of his greatest guilt.

"Yes. That's why I took off the ring. It was a symbol of a life I had with a special person to me, but now, it's nothing but a tool of torment".

Darken paused for a while and looked away. It was like he was saying those words. The ring he gave Alma was a tool of torment, too. Every time he saw it, he remembered that life that he was going to share with the only woman he loved. Darken suddenly realized that there are some similarities between him and Isabella, but maybe Isabella was better than him, at least she spent some time with the person she loved before death took him away from her. When he looked back at Isabella, he found she was staring at him, and to his surprise, she didn't look away when he caught her. He sighed and squeezed the piece of cloth, and was about to raise her dress to take a look at her ankle, when she moved away and stretched her dress to cover her feet and held her hands on her knees, looking at him angrily and a little scared. Darken looked at her surprised, this time he really didn't mean to touch her.

"It's alright, girl. I just want to see your twisted ankle", he said in a calm voice.

She looked at him suspiciously. Darken smiled and said, "You know that if I want anything from you, I will take it and I won't need your permission, and definitely I won't need to heal you first, right? Now, come here and let me see your ankle". Isabella swallowed and moved closer, raising her dress a little to reveal her ankle. Darken took a close look at her swollen ankle, smiled and said, "You must have crossed the line with Heather". Isabella smiled ironically and said, "Mord-siths don't need a reason to torture people". Darken ignored what she said and began swabbing the dry blood off her left ankle. Again, she seemed to be in pain, but she made no sound. Darken was surprised by how strong that girl was, and he wanted to know more about her.

"So, when did he die?", he asked.

Isabella closed her eyes and sighed, "Over a year".

"How?".

Isabella kept her eyes closed to prevent a tear, "Fever".

Darken narrowed his eyes and said, "But the light skin on your finger says otherwise".

Isabella sighed again and said, "I used to wear another ring for some time after I took off my marriage ring. I wore my ring for two years and it was a little hard to lose that feeling that I should wear something in that finger, but I think your mord-sith liked it so much that they ripped it off my finger", then she smiled ironically and said, "I never thought that mord-siths like these feminine stuff, but I guess she just wanted to tease me".

Darken knew she was right. Mord-siths were the last women in the world who would care about rings and similar things. Darken threw the piece of cloth on the tray, then he took some of the creamy substance and placed it carefully on her ankle. Isabella looked at him suspiciously and said, "Correct me if I am wrong, but don't you think that it's a little strange that LORD DARKEN RAHL is healing me himself?". Darken ignored her again, maybe because he had no answer to her question. Moments passed, and Isabella couldn't deny to herself that Rahl's hands were so gentle and he was very careful not to hurt her, and again, that attitude made her worried.

"So, it seems that you work outdoors, right?", Darken said, implying to the light skin on her finger.

Isabella wasn't comfortable with all his questions. She didn't want to answer any of them but she knew that if he wanted to know he would send one of his men to her town to find everything about her, and maybe those men wouldn't go in peace. So, she decided to answer him, the answers weren't secret after all.

"Yes. I have an inn where people can eat inside or outside. I also have a stable of horses".

"An inn and a stable of horses? Two different paths".

"The stable was my husband's and the inn was my parents''".

"your parents? So they are...?".

"Dead...too".

"How?"

"Why are...", Isabella wasn't really comfortable with that question. It was bringing very bad memories to her. She didn't want to answer but she didn't want to start a fight with Rahl; a fight that wouldn't end in her favor. She knew that she was too weak to fight.

Isabella took a deep breath and said, "My father fell off his horse and broke his neck. Two weeks after his funeral, my mother died. She couldn't survive without him". Her eyes were full of tears, but when she looked at Rahl, she saw him smiling a sarcastic smile. She looked at him angrily and said, "What is so funny about what I said?".

Darken raised his eyebrow, "It's love, isn't it? It's love that killed your mother, right?".

Isabella wiped her fallen tear and said, almost shouting, "No, love didn't kill my mother. Love doesn't kill. Death killed my mother; my father's death killed her. She couldn't live without the man she loved...you don't believe in love, do you?".

Darken leaned towards her and said in a low voice, "No, my dear. I don't believe in love. I believe in desire".

Isabella leaned a little backwards and said, "Well...Love is the next stage of desire, if desire is handled well".

"Handled well?...You seem to be 'well' educated".

"My father was...a wise man. He taught me a lot of things, and he was a very good tutor".

Darken said to himself, "So was my father, before trying to kill me".

Darken took a piece of linen and carefully wrapped it around her ankle. While doing so, he said, "So...you are a young and beautiful woman who has an inn and a stable, which means that you have a very good experience dealing with various kinds of people, and you are also a widow who lost her husband at a young age as well as her parents. A very strange and remarkable combination that resulted in a very different and remarkable young woman", then he leaned towards her and whispered, smiling, "You would have been an exquisite mord-sith". Isabella frowned and said, "I will never be a mord-sith. I am nothing like them".

Darken kept looking into her green eyes for a few moments, then he straightened his back and he said, smirking, "Your hostile attitude towards mord-siths is very strange and very interesting at the same time". Isabella looked at him surprisingly and shouted, "My hostile attitude? What did you expect other than that? Did you expect people to accept these...creatures that find pleasure in nothing but torturing people? Besides, that's not my attitude, that's the attitude of all D'Haran people, but you never bothered yourself to get a little closer to the people that you claim to be their ruler, and find out what they want or how they think, although it doesn't really need much thinking to know that no one accepts your mord-siths who wander in villages kidnapping young girls and turning them into...merciless monsters".

Isabella was breathing heavily, she was doing her best not to lose control, but she couldn't. When it came to mord-siths, Isabella never managed to control herself; she hated them more than she ever hated anyone or anything in her life. Darken was also surprised, she burst out like a wounded beast, like she didn't care if he would punish her for her audacity. He froze, he couldn't say one word; she said too many things in a short time that he couldn't know what to do. Should he talk calmly with her, or should he punish her for that? Moments passed while Darken was watching her close, and she wasn't comfortable with that, it felt like he wanted to read her mind and that was the last thing she wanted.

Finally, he finished wrapping the piece of linen around her twisted ankle, he covered her ankle with her dress and said, "I will leave that plate and the linen pieces here. You should put it twice a day and cover your ankle with linen; it will help you heal faster. You can also use it on your face and your arms". Isabella didn't respond, she just nodded. Darken got up, and walked towards the door, but before he reached it, he turned to her and said, "I will send you Nyla tomorrow to assist you with...".

"I am not...", she interrupted.

"You will stay in the palace as a guest, till you get better. When you are completely healed, you will be sent home...untouched".

Isabella opened her mouth, but she couldn't say anything. She had to admit that she didn't expect that. Was that a new game or he really got bored of her? Darken didn't wait for her response, he walked to the door.

"Maybe I should thank you for what you did...".

Darken froze in his place. His breath was caught in his chest.

"...But this doesn't change anything. If I have to kill myself...again, I will do it without hesitation. I can still defend myself".

Darken turned to face her. He couldn't see the look on her face in the faint light.

"As I said, you are a guest in my palace till you get better. Good night", and he left before she could say a word.

Darken walked to his chamber very slowly, hoping that he could change his mind and go back to the garden, but he has already promised himself not to go back again. He was so tired of self-tormenting and he couldn't go back to those sad memories anymore. He stood by his chamber's door for some time giving himself a last chance to rethink then he entered. He closed the door and walked to the window. He stood there for a while, thinking of what he just did; healing a young woman and talking to her so calmly and treating her so gently that he couldn't punish her for her rudeness. He was so angry of what he did. What was happening to him? Since he came back from the dead, he promised himself that he would be a better person, that was the only way not to go back to his former master, but it didn't mean to be that gentle with a woman who defied him. Suddenly, he took a book that was at the near-by table and threw it against the wall, screaming. He felt he was losing control over himself, like he was possessed, like he couldn't control his actions anymore, and the only thing Darken Rahl ever hated was losing control.

**Note: I was very stressed while writing this chapter, so if there's anything that you don't like anything about it, please let me know, thanks**. **Also, if there's anything that you like about it, let me know, as well :-)**


	9. Love starts with a fight

**First of all, I am so sorry for not updating for such a very long time. I have been so busy with my final exams and then I was working on four different projects simultaneously. I have just finished all of that a few days ago**.

**Chapter 9: Love starts with a fight:**

It's been two days since Rahl brought Isabella back to the palace. Through that period, he never tried to see her, not because of his previous intentions, no, he wasn't thinking about that anymore. He was just so angry that whenever he was around her lately, he felt that he was losing control over his actions. She was always fighting and he couldn't fight back anymore. That night when she came back was so….different.

_"If I have to kill myself...again, I will do it without hesitation. I can still defend myself"._

He couldn't even say a single word. For the creator's sake, why didn't he send her back to the mord-siths' temple to be punished for speaking to him like that? Why couldn't he punish her? In other times, he would have really enjoyed that.

"Am I that desperate to find someone who opposes my words?", he thought.

He -desperately- wanted to feel human again, even if this feeling meant that he would -entirely- change his attitude towards a broken and weak young woman. In other circumstances, he would have -gladly- used her condition to take advantage of her but now things are different; he -somehow- enjoyed having someone around who was defying him, especially if it was a girl who was supposed to be scared to death. She reminded him a little of his mord-sith power. The mord-sith were the only women who could speak to him without fear.

* * *

><p>Another three days passed and Darken couldn't stand it anymore. He needed to see her. He longed for her words even if they were offensive. For Lord Rahl, that was a new experiment that he was willing to try.<p>

"I promised her she will be sent home soon. Maybe I should make good use of the time left." he thought. "Why did I even promise her that?" he said in a low voice.

* * *

><p>In the first two days, Isabella spent her time in her chamber, mostly lying in bed. Her wounds hurt her a lot that she couldn't move without hissing in pain. Her twisted ankle was the worst, so she always had to let Nyla help her walk to the bathroom door. Her day was so simple, and so dull; she would -relcutantly- lie in bed reading that book about D'Hara's history or talk to Nyla or sleep.<p>

In the following days, the pain was less and she could walk around the room. Surprisingly for her, that creamy substance was of so much help in easing the pain of her injuries. Rahl was right after all!

Isabella was anxious to go back to her house. Although Rahl kept his word and she was untouched, being around him, inside his palace, wasn't comforting at all. She also wanted to go back to her village to check on those young girls who were about to be kidnapped by Heather.

Later that night, she was sitting on a chair near the window, watching the sparkling stars, while that book lied on her lap. She was trying so hard not to be drifted in her memories; memories with Daniel. She missed him so much, she knew him for two years before he asked her to marry him. She missed his shiny hazel eyes, his smile, and his short brown hair. She missed touching his skin, she missed his touch. She missed how he looked at her with those lovely wide eyes. She missed sleeping in his arms. She even missed fighting with him. She smiled when she remembered how they first met...it was a fight, and it was on her birthday.

* * *

><p>It's been Isabella's nineteenth birthday. She woke up early as usual, very happy and excited. She walked to her bedroom's window, watching the sunrise. She always loved watching the sun in the early morning. She stayed by the window for a while before heading to the bathroom to wash her face. She looked at the mirror, she was smiling. She was so beautiful, and when she smiled she would look much more beautiful. She always smiled, despite that slight look of sadness that her father always said it lied in her eyes.<p>

She headed to her wardrobe and took that new dress she had it tailored for her birthday in her hands. She touched the soft fabric, it was made of silk. She hugged the dress tightly and imagined how her party would look like, and then she put the dress back -carefully- in the wardrobe and chose another dress to wear. She had to work all day in the inn; the party would come later in the evening. Although her father was rich and she never had to work, but she always liked to work in the inn.

She got ready for her new day; she wore an orange long dress with circular white patterns and short sleeves, and she bounded her long hair to a ponytail with a white long strip. She wore her brown boots, and then she left her room, walking to the inn.

Isabella's house wasn't far from the inn. The big house had a big garden with fruit trees, flowers and herbs, and it was surrounded by a fence, and the inn was close to the house. It also had a garden where tables and chairs were everywhere, as well as some trees and vegetables, too. It was also surrounded by a fence.

Isabella's father, John Knight, was a rich man. He was married to Isabella's mother, Samantha, for twenty years. They have lived in Carden since they got married, and they started that inn business as soon as they moved to the village. Everyone in the village loved this happy couple, especially John, who was a very wise and educated man.

There weren't many people in the inn. It wasn't a busy day. Isabella went to the kitchen to help Uncle Bruce and Sarah. Uncle Bruce was her father's best friend and he has been was working in the inn since it was open, and Sarah was his daughter in-law. They were both working in the inn. Bruce was running the inn with John, while Sarah was working in the kitchen. Isabella always helped in the kitchen, and sometimes she would serve food to the customers.

"What are you doing here, Bella? You should take today off. It's your birthday", Sarah said.

Isabella smiled and said, "I have work to do, Sarah, but we will all take tonight off".

Bruce entered the kitchen and said, "Bacon and eggs for table four, extra salt, and some bread and some cool water, too", and then he left.

"I will take it now", Isabella said. Sarah looked at her and smiled, "No, you stay her. I will take it. Make good use of your day, Bella".

Isabella paused for a few moments. She didn't want Sarah to feel overloaded, but she finally said, "Fine, but I will help you if I see you need help". Sarah nodded and went to prepare the meal, and then she took it outside and returned back to the kitchen.

It wasn't long till Sarah and Isabella heard shouts from outside. They recognized Bruce's voice and another voice. Isabella went to see what was going on. A young man was shouting at Bruce and some customers were gathered around them. Isabella rushed to Bruce and shouted, "What is happening?". Bruce was about to explain when the young man said, "What happened is that your service is the worst. I never knew that eggs would be that sugary". Isabella narrowed her eyes and said, "Sugary?!". Bruce turned to her and said, "A mistake, Isabella. It seems that Sarah...", but before he could continue, the young man interrupted him and shouted, "I don't care about all of that. I need my meal right now, and if you are not capable of running such a business, then maybe you should...", Isabella shouted, "ENOUGH". He stared at her and before he could speak, she said, "Stop shouting in my estate, or leave and we won't ask you for money".

"Your estate? So you are the owner? And what money? You have no right to ask for that. It's your...".

"I said ENOUGH. Behave yourself, mister, or I will kick you out of here, literally".

The shouts were too loud that John heard them and came. He was already on his way to the inn when he heard shouts, so he rushed in saying, "What is happening here?".

Bruce explained that Sarah made a mistake. She mistook salt for sugar. She never did that before but it could happen, especially that she was worried about her husband, Edward, Bruce's son, who has been away for two weeks. John paused for a few moments, and then said, "Well, young man, we are sorry for that. I assure you that it never happened before and you could ask any of the customers". Isabella stared at her father and said, "But father, he has been shouting loudly". John looked at her and said, "It is our mistake, daughter". Isabella defended, "But he didn't even give us a chance to apologize or serve him another plate. He just kept shouting at Uncle Bruce and he wouldn't..." John interrupted Isabella and said quietly, "That's enough, daughter". Isabella looked at her father, then at the young man. She kept looking at him angrily. If looks hurt, the young man would have been dead by now.

Isabella turned around to leave, but then she turned to look at the young man and said, "If you don't respect people, don't you dare expect people to respect you", and she turned to leave. John approached the young man, leaned on his ear and said in a low voice, "Since it is our mistake that your meal was a mess, then we will fix this mistake and we will offer you another meal, a better meal on the house, and since it's your mistake that you kept shouting at a man at the age of your father, then you will eat your meal and leave and never come back again, now have a seat". John turned to Bruce and said, "Follow me, please". The young man kept looking at them till they entered the inn, then he sat down and cursed himself for behaving like that.

* * *

><p>It was night, the time for the big party. The house and the garden were all lighted by tine colored candles. All Isabella's friends and her parents' friends were invited. There was a lot of food for the guests, and Samantha baked a big birthday cake for her daughter. It was a chocolate cake. Isabella loved chocolate very much.<p>

Isabella was wearing her new blue dress. It was a long dress with long sleeves. She tied a fouleur of the same color and fabric around her head. She looked gorgeous. She was walking among her guests, talking to them with a wide smile on her face. All people were talking, drinking, and singing. They were all happy, but Isabella and her parents were the happiest. Isabella danced with her father happily, and she danced with Uncle Bruce, too. Then she let her father and Bruce dance with her mother and Sarah. She kept watching them, and watching the other people, too. She was so happy that they were happy for her and that they were having a good time because of her party.

Isabella turned around and walked towards the house main gate. She loved walking under the light of the moon. Her birthday was no exception. No one will notice her absence. She would just walk for a while then come back. She crossed the gate and walked to the inn fence, and she suddenly remembered the quarrel she had with that man in the morning. She felt so angry again. How could he talk to her like that? And why did her father talk to him like that? She didn't ask her father later about his behavior towards that man. Sometimes her father did some things that she wouldn't understand, and whenever she asked him or her mother, they would tell him that some situations should be handled wisely.

"I am so sorry about what happened in the morning", a male voice said from behind.

Isabella jumped. She turned around to find him standing in front of her, the same young man. She frowned and shouted, "YOU SCARED ME!".

"I am sorry. I just wanted to...".

"What are you doing here anyway? I will go call my father", she shouted.

She turned around to leave to call her father when he stood in front of her and said, "Please, listen to me. I came here because I want to apologize about what happened earlier. I didn't mean to be rude. I am not a rude person. I am just having a rough time now and I couldn't control myself. I do apologize for any offensive word I said to you or to the old man...Bruce, I guess?".

Isabella looked at him for a moment and said, "Yes, Bruce. That was the old man that you kept shouting at him and you didn't care that...".

He interrupted, "I said I am sorry. That is why I came here though your father told me not to come here again. Seriously, I am not a bad person. I never raise my voice in front of older people. I also want to meet your father and Mr. Bruce, to apologize to them".

"I don't think it's a good idea to meet them now", she said.

"then...Would you please tell them how sorry I am?", he almost pleaded.

Isabella sighed and said, "Fine, I will, only if you promise me never to come back here, because next time, my father won't be that wise with you".

He smiled and said, "I promise, only if you promise me to tell them that I came back to apologize".

"Fine. Would you leave now?".

He smiled and turned to leave, but then he turned to her and said, "Happy birthday, by the way".

Isabella narrowed her eyes and said, "How did you know?".

"It's not that hard to know. The house is shining like another sun. It must be your house, it's the nearest to your father's inn. People are dancing and drinking, and you are the most beautiful among all of them, then it must be your birthday", he was smiling.

"Oh, and you are smart, too", she smirked.

"Thank you for the compliment", he said, smiling.

They kept looking at each other for a few moments before Isabella cleared her throat and said, "I have to go back, and you have to disappear before my father sees you. Good bye" and she turned to leave.

"My name is Daniel. Daniel Woods", he shouted. She turned to him, smiled, then turned back and ran to the house.

"Till we meet again, Isabella", he said. He kept watching her till she disappeared behind the trees.

* * *

><p>By the time she reached that point, Isabella's face was covered in tears. She missed her husband so much, and considering that situation she was in now, she missed him more than ever. Her memories with him were the only thing that kept him close to her after his death.<p>

"Are you asleep?".

Isabella was taken from her memories by a voice she recognized well. Darken Rahl's voice. She turned her head from the window to the door to find him at the door, leaning against it...and the door was kept open. Isabella kept staring at him for a few moments, she needed to focus.

"Uh...No, I am not asleep", she finally said.

"I knocked many times. I thought you were asleep but the lights were on".

She straightened her back and said in a steady voice, "Is there anything you want from me...now?".

Darken looked at her and said, "I just wanted to make sure you are fine. I already told you that are my guest, and I always check on my guests".

"Well...I am fine, and I am looking forward to going back home".

Darken looked at her sharply. Somehow, he wished she would forget he promised her that. "You will. I promised you". He walked into the room till he reached the opposite chair of her, and sat down. From that position, he could see her fresh tears. She didn't even bother herself to brush them away.

"You seem to be in pain. The cure is not working?" he asked.

"It is working. Actually, it is working very well".

"Then why are you...?".

She knew what he was going to ask about, so she interrupted, saying, "I thank you for checking on me, but I do need to get some rest now. So, if there's no other reason for your visit, then, may I ask you to...wish me good night?" she said.

Darken stared at her. "Wish you good night?", that was a strange question. It seemed she wasn't ready to talk, so he decided to leave her and maybe they could talk tomorrow. He got up and said, "I wish you good night, Miss Isabella", and he left the room in a hurry, not bothering himself to wait and see if she would say anything in return or not.

**Would you honor me with a review, please****?**


	10. Lilies vs Orchids

**Chapter 10: Lilies vs. Orchids**

Next day, Darken woke up early. He had a meeting with General Egremont and some other Generals. It wasn't that easy to be a good ruler but he promised himself, once he was in the underworld, that if he ever had the chance to return to the land of the living again, he would be the ruler that his people always wanted.

~The meeting didn't take long. They just had to discuss some issues. The generals excused themselves and Darken and Egremont were left alone. "My lord?" Egremont said. Darken looked at him questionably.

"I heard that the girl returned back to the palace".

Darken narrowed his eyes, "Heard?! Where did you hear that?"

Egremont took a step back. He felt that his lord was angry.

"I ...I was at the Mord-sith temple..."

"The Mord-sith temple? What were you doing there?"

"Mistress Heather wanted to speak with me".

"About what?".

"We need new girls for the training, my lord. She asked me to send some guards and an officer with her and the other mistresses...to prevent what happened the last time. She insists on bringing those girls from Carden. She says it is revenge".

Darken raised his brow and smirked, "So...my Mord-siths are asking my army for protection?! And I thought that when my army falls, my Mord-siths will be the last line of protection". He suddenly screamed, "MY MORD-SITHS WHO HAVE ALREADY PROVEN THEIR WEAKNESS AND INCAPABILITY, WHO GOT BEATEN UP BY A GIRL, NOW ASKING FOR PROTECTION".

"My lord...".

"WHAT?", He interrupted, screaming.

Egremont swallowed, "I don't think it's a good idea to lose our faith in the mord-siths, especially now. It was an accident that I am sure won't happen again".

"Sure? You are sure? What if it happened again, Egremont? Are you willing to take up the responsibility?" Egremont said nothing.

Darken continued, "An accident, right? An accident that shouldn't have taken place".

Darken was trying to suppress his fury. Every time he remembered what Isabella did to Heather, he felt furious, but he also couldn't deny that feeling that tickled him; he felt excited. He has met many women before and most of them were fighters; starting with his mord-siths and every confessor he has ever seen, including Kahlan Amnell, but Isabella was different; she fought in her own way. She fought with her hands, but what made her different was that she always fought with words; bitter words that felt like daggers.

"Inform mistress Heather to stop her "trips" to the villages. Enough what happened for now".

"But, my lord, we do need new girls. We already lost many mord-siths recently. We have..."

"I said ENOUGH".

There was silence for a few minutes. Egremont stood still, while lord Rahl sat on his throne and put his head in his hands.

"Are there any other orders, my lord?", Egremont said quietly.

Darken raised his head to look at him, "No, just be sure to deliver my message".

Egremont bowed his head and turned to leave, leaving his lord drowning in his own thoughts.

* * *

><p>~ "Please, mistress. It's just a walk". Nyla was pleading. She was trying to convince Isabella to have a walk with her in the palace's garden.<p>

"Lord Rahl said that you are allowed to walk in the garden. He is always generous with his guests".

"Nyla, I told you; I don't want to have a walk. I don't want to leave this chamber unless I am leaving to go home".

"But lord Rahl..."

"I AM NOT HIS GUEST".

Nyla closed her mouth and swallowed. She has never seen her mistress losing her temper. She was always nice and kind to her.

"Uh...I am sorry, mistress", she was about to cry.

Isabella sighed and walked to sit on the edge of her bed. She said quietly, "Why do you insist, Nyla? What is so special about this garden?"

Nyla said in a low voice, "I have never been to the garden before. Maids aren't allowed to go there. Only the gardeners and the guards are permitted to enter it. They say it's very beautiful. I just want to see it...Lord Rahl said that I can accompany you because you are still in pain because of your injuries".

"You said it; I am still in pain. My ankle still hurts. I can't walk properly".

"I promise you that when you get tired, we will come back. I will not argue", Nyla said hopefully.

Isabella closed her eyes. She didn't want to leave her chamber. She didn't want to go anywhere inside the borders of that palace. She has already seen enough in that place. She wanted to leave, not to wander in the garden.

Isabella opened her eyes and found Nyla's eyes focused on her. She found herself saying, "Alright". Nyla's face lightened up.

"...But when I say I want to go back, we go back. No arguments".

Nyla smiled widely, "Fine".

Isabella was wearing a red and white long sleeve dress, but she took a shawl and put it on her shoulders although it was spring. They both left the chamber and walked in silence. Isabella walked slowly. She wished she hadn't agreed to leave her chamber. Through their way to the garden, every guard was watching her; every maid was staring at her. They were all watching the girl who came and left and came again. Most of them already knew that at the night she came back from the mord-siths temple, lord Rahl took a tray of some healing creams and went to her chamber. That wasn't him, they all thought.

Finally, they reached the garden. Before they stepped inside, Isabella said, "Remember our agreement, Nyla".

Nyla said, "Of course, but we aren't coming back until I show you a special place".

Isabella looked at Nyla, confused. "What place?"

Nyla smiled, "The Lilies".

Before Isabella could say one word, Nyla pulled her and they both entered the garden. They passed by various kinds of flowers; Roses, Daffodils, Orchids. They also saw different types of trees. Isabella knew most of them, and she told Nyla about them. There were herbs, too. Isabella told Nyla that some of them were used for healing, others were used for their beautiful scent. Nyla was surprised of the amount of information that Isabella had. "How do you know all of that?" Nyla asked.

"Why are you so surprised?", Isabella asked simply.

"Only healers know all those information about plants".

"Only healers?", Isabella smiled.

"Well...Mostly...Are you a healer?" Nyla asked curiously.

"No, I am not a healer".

"Then how?".

"My father loved nature so much. He knew everything about every plant that grows in our village. We used to go everyday to the forest, and he would keep talking about every flower and tree we see on our way". Isabella was smiling while remembering those memories.

"Do you have any siblings, mistress?", Nyla asked.

Isabella stopped walking and looked at Nyla sadly. "No, I don't", she said, and then she walked again.

Nyla walked next to her and said, "I have an elder sister. Her name is Alicia".

"Does she work here in the palace?".

"No, she is married. Her husband won't let her work, he can afford her", and she smiled, "She is also with child".

Isabella smiled at Nyla, "Really? Congratulations".

"Thank you. It's still early anyway. I am planning to go and stay with her when it is soon".

"Can't your mother stay with her?".

Nyla sighed and said, "My mother died seven years ago".

"I am sorry, Nyla...Um...And your father?"

"No, he is alive, thank the Creator".

"What about you?", Nyla asked.

"My parents are dead. It was a few years ago".

"Are you married?".

"I was married. He died, too". Isabella looked sad.

Nyla said in a low voice, "I am sorry", and before Isabella could respond, she said, "But you will not be alone anymore. You are here, and lord Rahl is..."

Isabella looked at Nyla angrily. Nyla shut her mouth and knew she said something wrong. Isabella kept looking at Nyla for a while and Nyla felt a little scared of her and took two steps backwards. Isabella saw that and knew that she scared the girl. She said in a voice that she tried to make as calm as possible, "Let's finish the tour quickly. I want to go back".

~Finally, the two young women reached the Lilies. "Finally", Nyla shouted happily.

"Here we are; the Lilies. Would you tell me now why did you insist to come here?"

"I wanted to see that special place".

"Special place?", Isabella narrowed her eyes. She admitted that the whole garden was nice, but what was special about that part?

"Yes. This place has witnessed the growth of a love story", then she whispered as if she was telling a secret, "The only love story in lord Rahl's life".

Isabella opened her mouth in disbelief. A love story? That man didn't even know the meaning of the word. She wouldn't be surprised if she found out that he couldn't spell it.

"I have heard that story when I first came here. It's been so many years ago but old maids know it. They say that lord Rahl was in love with a noble lady named Alma. Back there he was Prince Darken and his father was still alive. She was the sister of a famous General in the army. I don't remember his name but I remember that he was a friend of lord Rahl. They had a secret love story. No one knew about it; not her brother and not his father, Lord Panis Rahl. But guards and maids always notice such things. They say she was lovely, beautiful and nice to everyone".

"And what does all of that has to do with this place?".

"That's where they used to meet. They say she loved flowers, but she adored the Lilies the most. She loved spending her time her".

Darken Rahl was in love with a woman?! A lovely sweet woman and not a cruel mord-sith?! Isabella couldn't comprehend.

"And what happened next? Where is she? I know he is not married".

"She died", Nyla said sadly.

"Died? How?" Isabella was surprised.

"They say she killed herself; stabbed a dagger in her chest".

Isabella narrowed her eyes. Why would the lovely lady do that? Maybe he took advantage of her then refused to marry her. For a lady in her social position, it was a disaster. That's what Isabella thought.

"...But that was what was said behind the walls. They announced to people that she got sick and died. They couldn't tell the people that a noble lady killed herself; it is not appropriate". Isabella said nothing.

"Can you imagine, mistress? This place saw many love moments that they shared. There is an old maid in the kitchen; she is the one who told me that story, she said that they looked nice together. She said lord Rahl was different with Alma; he treated her so gently like a queen. He was never mean to her and he really loved her. She thinks that Alma's death caused him to be like that", then she whispered, "Cruel".

Was that man capable of love? Was he capable of treating anyone gently? Isabella remembered how he treated her in the beginning; slapping her and trying to rape her, and she also remembered how he treated her when she returned back with him from the temple; he was gentle, although she never trusted that attitude.

"...Kayla, the old maid, told me that they used to meet here a lot. She loved Lilies so much and lord Rahl knew that and asked the gardeners to take special care of that particular part of the garden. Oh...I wish I could see her".

Isabella looked around her. The lilies were beautiful, and so was the lilies lady -it seemed-. Isabella imagined Rahl lying on the ground with a lovely young woman lying next to him and he would be stroking her hair and kissing her gently, the next moment she imagined him looking at a nice lady with eyes full of love and care. Was he really able of doing that? Maybe he was once a good person, maybe that woman was the only one who could suppress his dark soul. Isabella tried so hard to believe that the cruel lord Rahl was once a normal man who could fall in love and meet his lover in a garden.

Nyla leaned on her knees to smell a Lily. "It's beautiful, no wonder why it was her favorite", she thought. She stretched her hand to touch it and...

"DON'T YOU DARE".

Isabella turned around sharply and Nyla fell off out of the shock. Lord Rahl was standing in front of them and he was more than furious. If looks could kill, Nyla would have been dead by now.

"What are you doing here?", Rahl said. He was clenching his jaws.

Nyla swallowed hard. She knew she was doomed now. She was scared to death that he may have heard what she told Isabella about his former lover. She opened her dry mouth, but words wouldn't be said. She looked at Isabella desperately. Isabella knew what Nyla was feeling, so she took a step forward and said, "Nyla told me that I was permitted to walk in the garden, and I got bored with staying in the chamber all day".

Rahl breathed loudly. He kept his gaze on Nyla. He never allowed anyone, not even himself, to touch the lilies since Alma's death. There was silence for over a minute; Rahl looking at Nyla furiously, Nyla looking at the ground, and Isabella looking at both of them. Finally, Rahl said in a demanding voice, "Leave". He was looking at Nyla. Once he said that, Isabella held Nyla's wrist and said, "Wait. I am coming with you". Rahl said, "No. Only she leaves". Nyla didn't wait another second. She looked at Isabella for a second and then she ran.

Darken looked at Isabella and said, "How are you now?" His face was plain. Isabella tried to look anywhere but at him, but she failed to do that when he stepped in front of her. "I feel better", she finally said. Rahl took another step forward when she turned around him and said, "I have to go back to my chamber. I feel tired" and she left in a hurry. She didn't see Rahl' smile.

Isabella walked in such a hurry that her ankle hurt like hell. She had to slow down and she leaned on a tree and closed her eyes. She couldn't stay with him alone; she was still scared of him.

"You shouldn't have left in such a hurry. You could have hurt your ankle". He followed her.

Isabella snapped her eyes open. She ran her fingers through her long silky hair and said nothing.

"So, what do you think of my royal garden?", He asked in a normal tone.

"your... It's nice".

"Did you like the Lilies?"

"They are beautiful".

Rahl gestured for her to walk with him. She applied reluctantly. She walked slowly and he walked near her. They kept walking till they reached the red roses. Isabella stopped and stared at the red flowers.

"Do you like them that much?".

"I hate red", she said. Darken looked at her and narrowed his eyes. She turned to look at him. They kept looking at each other till he broke contact and said, "Then...what's your favorite flower?" Isabella paused for a long moment then said, "Orchids".

"mmmmm. Orchids are royal. A very nice choice, Isabella".

Suddenly, Rahl moved towards her. She was startled; she didn't expect that move. She tightened the shawl around her shoulders but didn't move. "Are you still scared of me?" he said.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't be".

"I told you; you are my guest".

"And why should I believe you?".

He took another few steps forwards so that Isabella had to go backwards to avoid being close to him. Unfortunately, her back hit a big tree and there was no escape.

Rahl looked at her and smiled, "Because I already told you; If I want you, I would have had you by now".

Isabella raised her eyebrow and said ridiculously, "Right. This is exactly what you have proven the night I stabbed myself".

Rahl took another step forwards. He was so close that if he took another step, his chest would touch hers. She could go nowhere. She was pinned. She just tightened the shawl a little more. Rahl noticed that and laughed.

"You seem to be a little shy for a woman who has been with a man before in an intimate way".

Isabella looked at him angrily. She knew what he meant and said, "He was my husband".

"He was a man, after all". Isabella breathed hardly. She didn't like it when Rahl brought up that subject. He touched a strand of her hair and whispered, "Tell me, what makes him different?"

She tried to move away but he held her forearms. He said a little harsher, "What makes him so different?"

She looked into his eyes and said defiantly, "I was his. Only his. That's what made him different".

Rahl didn't respond. He took that strand of hair and smelled it deeply. He could hear Isabella's angry breaths, but he didn't care. He didn't care about her anger; he was enjoying being that close to her. Isabella closed her eyes. She couldn't stand being near him and she thought that closing her eyes might make things go better.

Darken raised his eyes to look at her, and he saw her eyes closed. He looked at her beautiful face and smiled. He was about to touch her red lips with the tip of his finger but he stopped. Instead, he leaned and brushed his lips against hers. Isabella opened her eyes and looked at him. He could see so many feelings in that look; amazement, disbelief, condemnation and disgust. He didn't care about that, he only wanted to feel her soft lips again. He leaned to kiss her but she pushed him away from her, screaming, "DON'T TOUCH ME".

She was freed from being pinned in that tree. How much she hated that tree now!

She moved away and put both her hands on her mouth in disbelief. She couldn't hold her tears back. They streamed down her face. Before he could take a step forward, she turned around and ran. She didn't care about her ankle. She kept running till she reached the Orchids. She looked at the delicate flowers furiously. She felt that she wanted to burn them and the whole garden, too. She continued running till she reached the door of her chamber. She didn't care about the guards' curious looks; she was still crying. She opened the door and found Nyla waiting for her inside.

"Oh, my creator. What happened?", Nyla asked in fear. She was afraid that lord Rahl punished Isabella instead of her.

Isabella couldn't speak. She was sobbing heavily. She walked slowly and sat on the chair by the window. She said in a low voice, "I just want to go home".

Nyla walked to her and kneeled beside the chair. "Did lord Rahl p...?"

"DON'T SAY HIS NAME. I HATE HIM. GET OUT. I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANYONE. GET OUT". Isabella lost control. She was screaming at Nyla. Nyla was shocked. She didn't understand what happened to her mistress. She stood up and left without saying a word. She understood that Isabella wanted to spend some time alone. Once Nyla closed the door behind her, Isabella stood up and walked to the bed. She felt weak. She felt powerless. Her ankle hurt a lot. Her whole body hurt her. She felt her lips were on fire. She fell on the bed and cried till her eyes were dried. A while later, she sank into a dreamless sleep.

Back at the garden, Darken didn't move an inch since Isabella ran. He stood still, thinking about what just happened. Her lips were so soft and sweet. He never felt that way before with any of his mord-siths. Alma was the only woman that did that to him; when he first kissed her, he couldn't be apart from her, but Alma allowed him to be close to her, and Isabella would never do that. He knew it would consume too much time and work to convince her to be with him willingly. He didn't want to take advantage of her anymore. He didn't want to see that look in her face every time he was around her. Darken didn't know what was happening to him before and he was furious because of that, but that time he didn't care about it because he knew what was going on; maybe that was the creator's gift for him for trying to be a good person, giving him his beloved back in the form of another woman. He couldn't have Alma back but he could have her projection.

Darken walked till he reached the Orchids. He never cared that much about flowers, but he noticed how beautiful orchids are. He kneeled and touched an orchid with the tips of his fingers. It felt soft, too. As soft as Isabella's lips.

_**So, tell me what you think of it. Reviews are important especially at that point :-)**_


	11. His Rival

**Again, I am terribly sorry for not updating for a very long time. I was sucked in a big black hole named "College: Senior Year". I have just finished my mid-year exams a few days ago and I am trying to keep up with what I missed.**

**Chapter 11: His Rival:**

Isabella stayed at her chamber all day. She lied in bed and curled into a ball; she didn't have the power or the will to move. She just lied there, holding the pillow close to her and crying bitterly. She missed Daniel so much. She hated being touched by any man other than him. Isabella was one of the most beautiful girls in her village. Since she turned 16 years old, many young men wanted to go out with her but she always refused. She wanted to keep herself for the man who would own her heart, and that man was Daniel.

* * *

><p>Darken walked to the court room. He needed to clear his mind after what happened. He decided to dig himself in work. Being rejected by a woman wasn't an option for him, and yet, he didn't feel angry with Isabella for doing so. He reached the court room to find Egremont there with three officers discussing some issues regarding the soldiers' trainings. Once he entered the room and they bowed to him, he signed to the officers to leave and turned to Egremont.<p>

."I have a task for you, Egremont"

"At your service, my lord", Egremont said quietly.

."I need you to assign a qualified officer for a task"

"May I ask, what is the task, my lord?".

"I need that officer to go to Carden. I want him to gather all information about a man named Daniel. I don't know his last name, but he lived there and he owned a stable. He was married to a young woman named Isabella Knight".

Egremont opened his mouth to ask but he didn't. In the past few days, lord Rahl didn't like anyone to question him about anything. "Of course, my lord. If you allow me...I will choose a trustworthy soldier that is discrete and will accomplish the task successfully".

Rahl said, "Alright. Choose your man and send him as quick as possible". Egremont bowed and left.

Darken walked to the window and looked at the garden. He smirked and said, "Let's see who are you, Mr. Daniel".

* * *

><p>Egremont was sitting in his office. He was thinking about Rahl's latest behaviours. "Isabella Knight", he thought. He knew that the girl that was brought lately by the mord-siths was called Isabella. It must have been her, and it seemed that she was married to that man, Daniel, but why Rahl wanted to know about him? Egremont couldn't stop himself from getting worried, but he had no other choice but recline to the wishes of his lord. He cleared his throat and called one of the guards.<p>

"General", the guard bowed.

"Fitch soldier Aarons. I need to meet with him immediately", Egremont said.

* * *

><p>Two days later, Darken was sitting at the court room, talking to Mistress Heather who insisted on meeting with him.<p>

"So, mistress Heather, what is that important matter that you needed to discuss with me immediately?".

"We need new girls, my lord", she said calmly.

Darken took a few steps forward and said with a sarcastic smile, "Of course, mistress. When my mord-siths start growing weak, then consequently I will be in desperate need of new ones".

"My lord, I already told you that the accident with that girl was an individual case, and it was….".

"It was a warning for me…a message that I should start taking some drastic measures. You have been growing weak since I left", he said in a dark voice.

This time, Heather couldn't control her anger. "All of that anger and exasperation because of that….whore that we brought?". Suddenly, Heather felt a firm grip around her neck; it was Darken's hand.

"It seems that you have forgotten your manners, Heather. You are speaking to your master".

Heather couldn't say a word; she felt she was suffocating. Darken kept his grip around her neck for a few more moments before letting her go. Heather fell on her knees, with both her hands on her bruised neck and coughing violently while breathing fast; her lungs were longing for air.

"This is your last mistake, Mistress Heather. You ran out of chances…completely". Heather raised her head to look at him.

"Next time….you definitely won't like my reaction", and then he bent down near her and said in a low voice, "It will be more painful than your training when you were just a little girl..scared and filthy". Heather couldn't look at his eyes, she felt scared of him, and so she looked down.

"My lord".

Darken turned his head to find Egremont standing at the door. He slowly stood up like nothing happened. "Is there anything?".

Egremont cleared his throat and said, "I need to speak with you, my lord".

Darken signed for him to enter, and without looking at her he ordered, "Leave".

Heather pitifully stood up, bowed to her lord and left in a hurry.

Darken turned to Egremont and said, "What is it, Egremont?".

"The task you ordered …It's done".

Darken paid full attention and said, "And?".

"I sent a soldier to Carden and he gathered all information about that man".

Darken seemed impatient, so Egremont quickly continued, "His name is Daniel Woods. He is mainly from the city of Fydel. His parents are dead. He moved to Carden four years ago. He was married to a young woman, from Carden residents, named Isabella Knight, and that was three years ago. He owned a big stable in Carden where he lived with his wife. They both used to run the stable and the inn she inherited from her parents. They had a very successful business. A year ago, He got sick; he had fever and it was severe. His condition was so bad and healers couldn't help him. A week later, he passed away and was buried in the graveyard of his wife's family. That's all we could get because he was raised in another city and people don't know a lot about him before his arrival to Carden". Then he paused for a few moments before saying, "But his wife must know everything about him".

Darken looked at Egremont with a plain look, and Egremont wished he could take his words back. He swore to himself that he wouldn't bring that girl into a discussion with Rahl but the words just slipped out of his mouth.

* * *

><p>It was past mid-night and still Darken couldn't sleep. This "Daniel Woods" was causing a lot of anger inside him. Being a dead man didn't ease the anger that was arousing in Darken' mind and chest. He couldn't know why he was feeling that, but right now all what mattered to him is how to get closer to that young lady who locked herself in her chamber two days ago and refused to emerge from it. He knew for sure that it was going to be a very tough task, maybe harder than serving the Keeper. She was his new Alma, and he wasn't going to let her go like he was forced to let his old lover go. He wouldn't give up and he would seize this opportunity to be happy for once.<p>

Darken threw the covers, he was totally annoyed. He wanted to see her immediately. So, he got up and left his room, determined to go and see her no matter what happened. He walked to her chamber that wasn't far from his royal suite. Once he reached her chamber's door, he silently opened it and stopped there for a while. He wasn't sure if it was right to enter or not. He was going to start a nice plan to approach that little fairy that soon would be his, and he didn't want to mess things up. But he couldn't resist his urge to get close and watch her while she was asleep.

Carefully, he stepped in and closed the door quietly, then turned to look at her. In the middle of the queen-sized bed, Isabella lied, covered with red covers that were lined with golden strips, and her long silky raven hair was lying on the red pillow, surrounding her beautiful face, and making a color contrast, that 's unmistakable even in the faint light of the bulb that illuminated the room. She was wearing a simple green dress with no sleeves. Darken took a few steps forward; he was so anxious to get closer. Finally, he reached the edge of the bed, and from his position, he could see Isabella's face and he frowned; her face was pale, and eyes –though they were closed- seemed swollen. He was sure she spent the last two days crying after their encounter in the garden. Did she really hate his touch? Was she thinking of Daniel and crying him? Was she crying because she wanted to go home? NO! He can't let her return back to her house. He can't let go of her.

Darken watched her for a while, before sitting on the edge of the bed near her. She looked so peaceful in her sleep…so calm and so pretty, and her lips, they were pinky red and they seemed to draw him in. Oh…how much he loved how her lips tasted. He wanted to taste them again but she didn't allow him. Darken could only think of Daniel and how lucky he was to have such a woman; beautiful, sweet, composed, strong, brave, rebellious and spontaneous. In one word: Unique.

Darken leaned his head against the bed frame and closed his eyes. He never forgot how lucky he was, too, when he had Alma by his side, when he was just a normal person, a prince to a powerful kingdom, waiting to announce his love for a high-class young lady, and preparing himself to be the king. If only his father has believed in him and tried to help him, maybe things would have been better by now, maybe he wouldn't have been that cruel ruler that everyone feared, and maybe he wouldn't have been forced to serve the Keeper to save himself. Darken was lost in his own thoughts and without noticing, his eyes felt so heavy and he was drifted to sleep…..

"No…no, please, don't take her. No, please".

Darken was startled by those words. He opened his eyes and blinked for a few moments to recognize where he was; he was still in Isabella's room and he fell …Oh No! He fell asleep next to her and….

"Please, I beg you, don't take her". Darken turned to the source of the voice. Isabella was murmuring in her sleep. He looked at her and narrowed his eyes. She was dreaming and talking in her sleep, but what was she talking about?

"No, let her go. No, DON'T TOUCH HER", Isabella shouted.

Darken looked at her in surprise, what was she dreaming about? He thought of waking her up but didn't know if it was a good idea; if she woke up and found that he was in her chamber, that would make his task tougher, but another look at her face made him take a decision; her forehead was sweating like she had a fever and she was breathing hardly. He slowly stretched his hand and shook her slightly, "Isabella".

Isabella was still drowning in her dream, her lips were shaking, her breath was short and rapid, like she was running or crying, and she was murmuring with words that Darken couldn't get. He could only hear the word "sick". This time, he got closer to her, shook her strongly but not harshly, "Isabella, wake up. Wake up".

Suddenly, Isabella woke up, startled. She got up, looking around in fear. Her eyes were wide, she looked terrified. She kept looking around the room in panic and when her eyes fell on Darken, he felt that she couldn't see him, like he wasn't there; she just kept looking around her frantically. Darken looked at her, confused, was she still asleep? He touched her arm and shook her a little strongly and said in a quite loud voice, "Isabella, wake up now". Isabella then stopped looking around the room, looked at him for a few moments, her face was plain, then suddenly she burst into tears. Darken stood up and looked at her. He didn't know what just happened, and he also didn't know what to do. She was crying heavily, burying her face in her hands and resting them on her knees. He sighed and –slowly- sat on the edge of the bed and stretched his hand and put it on her hair. Isabella felt the touch and snapped her head, looking at him with her swollen eyes. He knew he would regret it later, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling sorrow for her; she looked terrible; with her red eyes that were full of fear and her trembling body. She buried her face in her hands again and kept weeping. What could possibly happen to her that caused such remorse and sadness? He couldn't help but touch her hand and when she didn't take it back or flinch, he found himself pulling her close to him and resting her head on his shoulder. Again, to his surprise, she didn't flinch or try to move away from him. Actually, she seemed drawn to her own sadness that she almost didn't know that he was even there.

Darken took a deep breath and swept her long hair with his hand while tapping her shoulder with the other hand. He could find nothing better to do; she was still crying bitterly and nothing seemed to calm her down. He knew she wasn't dreaming about Daniel, she was talking about someone she lost; a female. Her mother? Or maybe a daughter? But she told him she had no children and that was clearly confirmed by the officer who was sent to her village. Then who was that person that his loss was causing so much pain for her?

Darken looked down at her face, her eyes were closed like she was asleep, but she was still crying. He gently stroked her hand and said in a low voice, "Isabella". She was still for a few moments, then she said, still her eyes were closed, "They killed her", and then, without another word, she lifted her head up, and turned on the other side of the bed and put her head on the pillow and fell asleep. She didn't even look at Darken.

Darken kept looking at her for a few moments, then he said in a low voice, "What a mystery you are, Isabella. A mystery I intend to reveal". He watched her for a while; she seemed to be sleeping peacefully; no nightmares and no crying and her breaths were regular and normal. Darken covered her and got up; it was time to go back to his chamber. He walked to the door and before he opened it, he stopped for a moment, and then he turned around and looked at the sleeping girl in front of him. For the second time that night, he knew he was about to do something that he would regret later, but he couldn't resist. He quietly walked back to the bed, sat down on the edge, and before he could have a second thought, he lied down and closed his eyes.

* * *

><p>Darken could never deny that it was one of the calmest nights he ever slept. Although he slept very late, but he felt refreshed when he woke up a while after sunrise. He opened his eyes slowly, looked around for a few moments before realizing where he was; he was still in Isabella's room. Then he remembered what happened last night. He turned his head on the other side of the bed and there she was; she was still asleep calmly. Her right hand was right under the pillow while the other hand was stretched next to her, almost touching his arm.<p>

Darken stretched his hand to touch her cheek and involuntarily his fingers moved to touch her lips, but before he could touch them, Isabella stirred, so he –quickly- drew his hand and was about to raise himself and sit but she has already opened her eyes slowly and when her sleepy eyes fell on him, she jumped like she was bitten by a snake and gasped sharply, then she covered herself with the covers.

"What are you doing here?", she asked in a shaky voice.

"I ..Don't you remember what happened last night?", he said, trying to sound indifferent.

"What?", she said in a low voice.

"Last night, you were….".

"What happened last night? You did…we didn't…", she was talking rapidly and she looked like she was going to faint. She was freaking out and he knew what she was thinking about.

"You were having a bad dream and you woke up crying", he said, trying to explain.

"And you heard me crying right from your chamber?", she said in disbelief.

"I wasn't in my chamber; I was walking in the corridor when I heard you crying".

"So you decided to come into my room and sleep next to me?!", she shouted, clutching the covers over her body.

Darken was silent. He knew that even if he had an excuse to come into her room in such a late hour of the night, how would he explain why he slept next to her in the same bed? So instead he cleared his throat and said, "I don't think you are in a position to question me, young lady".

"So now….".

"NOW… you should try harder to compose yourself while you are around me". Isabella didn't respond, she turned her head and looked away.

"Whether you like it or not, I am still lord Rahl; your lord, as well as all D'Hara".

"Never". She looked at him with a defiant look.

"Stop testing my patience, Mrs. Woods. This might end in a way that you definitely won't enjoy", and he turned to leave.

"How did you know?", she asked, puzzled.

Darken turned to face her and raised his eyebrow, "Because I know what I am capable of".

"How did you know my name? I never told you my husband's last name", she said, narrowing her eyes.

Darken felt he was caught off guard. He kept it inside him and took a few steps forward and said, "For the second time, MRS. WOODS, I am reminding you that I am the master here not you, and I am the only one who has the absolute right to ask any questions ... not you".

"But I guess I have the right to ask one question".

"And what would that question be, Mrs. Woods?". He knew that calling her with her husband's last name would upset her, and right now, he was enjoying teasing her.

"When can I go home?", she said calmly.

Darken raised his chin and said, "When I decide", and before she could argue, he turned and left the room in a hurry.

Darken descended the stairs fast, and once he reached the court room he slammed the door shut and walked to his throne but didn't sit on it. He put his hand on the back of the throne and took a deep breath. Did he just make things worse? Should he stop acting nice and take her by force? He didn't mind that but the problem was that he was planning for something that could last longer than just a few nights. There was also that nightmare; who was that person she was dreaming about? She lost someone and it seemed that she was fighting for that person while trying to save him. Everything about that girl was weird, even sending a spy to her village didn't help a lot. Darken felt he was lost and he didn't like that feeling, so he slowly sat on the throne and rested his chin on his fingers, and then he said, "You are not going home any time soon, until I know who you really are, Isabella".

**I hope you enjoyed the new chapter. Tell me what you think of it so far. Reviews are always welcome.**


	12. The Offer

**Hi, again :)**

** I managed to pull myself out of studying and write a new chapter. I hope you like it.**

**Chapter 12: The Offer:**

Isabella was still in her bed. She felt her legs were too weak to carry her, so she didn't dare leave the bed. She needed some time to calm her fast-beating heart; her blood ran cold when she woke up to find Rahl sleeping next to her and in no time she thought of the worst. She tried not to think of it but she couldn't. It felt so scary.

Isabella slowly got up and managed to pull herself out of bed and sit at the edge of the bed. She could clearly see her reflection at the mirror on the left side of the bed. She looked… the same. Her clothes were still on her, nothing is torn. Her hair wasn't messed up. There were no bruises on her wrists or her face. Maybe he really didn't touch her. Isabella took a sigh of relief and closed her eyes, then she stood up, but when her feet touched the wooden floor, she almost fell.

"Oooooooh", Isabella screamed in pain.

"Mistress….What's wrong?", Nyla burst into the chamber, terrified by her mistress's scream.

"My ankle hurts a lot", Isabella said in extreme pain. Actually, it's been hurting her since her encounter with Rahl in the royal garden, but her sadness and anger were over her pain.

"It must have been that day we went to the garden, mistress". Isabella looked at Nyla, puzzled.

"You stormed into the chamber…you must have been running with your hurt ankle….it must have made it more swollen". Isabella sighed in frustration and rubbed her face and said, "Nyla, would you please help me stand up?". Nyla ran to help Isabella get up, and as slow as she could, Isabella got up, leaning on Nyla's arms.

"Carefully, mistress", Nyla said while helping her up.

Isabella gritted on her teeth when she stood up and her feet hit the floor…It was hurting her more than it did when she first got injured.

Nyla helped Isabella walk till she reached the bed and sat on it. Isabella took a sigh of relief as she didn't have to stand up anymore.

"Nyla, would you please hand me that wooden bowl?". Isabella remembered that white creamy substance that Rahl left her the night she returned back with him from the temple, after he healed her.

Nyla hurried to get Isabella what she asked for, and inside her, Isabella cursed her bad luck.

* * *

><p>"THAT'S TOO MUCH. I CAN'T STAND THAT ANYMORE", Heather screamed furiously. She was back at the temple and she was on fire. Brenda came running to see what was happening.<p>

"Heather….what's wrong? Why are you screaming?", Brenda asked worriedly.

"I can't stand that anymore. Why is he defending her? Who is that whore that he would beat me for?", Heather shouted angrily.

"What are you talking about?", Brenda asked, confused.

"That filthy thing that we got from Carden… that poisonous creature! She is turning lord Rahl against us, and believe me when I say: she is doing that pretty well till now".

"Hold on, Heather. I don't understand one word", Brenda said, trying to make Heather calm down.

Heather turned sharply to Brenda and screamed, "What don't you understand? She is turning him against us, and he already made it clear to me that we are incompetent and growing weal and that he wouldn't hesitate to get rid of all of us and it's all because of that girl and what she did to us when we were in Carden".

"That was a minor accident and….", Brenda said, feeling offended.

"He doesn't see it that way. First, Denna, then Cara, and now that girl and what she did to humiliate us. He is losing faith in us", Heather shouted, and Brenda didn't have a word to say; she knew that Rahl was beginning to be impatient with them since he came back.

"How did she do that? How did she empower us like that?", Heather said darkly. Brenda shook her head, feeling puzzled; she didn't have an answer for that question, just like Heather and the others. Even Rahl didn't have an answer for that question.

"That girl won't rest till she gets rid of all of us. I can see it clearly in her eyes; she wants revenge, and as much as I hate her and wish her to burn in hell, but I have to admit it; she is playing her little game very well, and she knows as much as we know how to get into Darken Rahl", Heather said, locking her eyes on her agiel that she was holding in her hands.

"Heather…We are the mord-siths; we shouldn't compare ourselves to such a girl", Brenda said.

"HE is comparing us to her, Brenda. He is doing that, not us", Heather shouted.

"Heather, remember… you are talking about lord Rahl", Brenda said in a low voice.

Heather turned to Brenda and said in a deadly calm voice, "And that's why I want to get rid of that girl… because this is our lord…and thanks to her, the eternal bond that existed for over two centuries between lord Rahl and his mord-siths is cracked", then she looked at her agiel again, "I will not let such a girl beat us….even if I have to defy Rahl's orders and kill her with my bare hands".

Brenda said in a warning tone, "Heather…you really don't mean that. I know that you hate that girl, but remember, lord Rahl ordered us not to touch her. You do remember what we did when he came the last time and saw what we did to her". Brenda was trying to prevent Heather from doing anything that might unleash Rahl's fury.

Heather didn't seem to hear one word of what Brenda said, as she said quietly and with an evil smile on her face, "I won't let her win, never again".

* * *

><p>Darken Rahl was walking to his royal chamber when he hit a small figure. "Oh", it was a woman's voice. Darken looked at the woman's face.<p>

"Gothika?!", he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"My lord", she said in a low voice.

"What are you doing in that part of the palace, Gothika? You are not allowed to come here without permission". Gothika was quite an old woman who has been serving the Rahl's family since a very time. She was the only healer who survived the attack of the D'Harans after Rahl's death, along with another younger male healer.

Gothika swallowed nervously and said, "Actually, my lord… I was summoned to help your guest".

"Guest? What….?", Darken stopped and swallowed; she must have meant Isabella. What could have happened to her? Oh, no! Did she kill herself?

"The young lady in the eastern chamber, my lord".

"Yes…What's wrong with her?", Rahl asked calmly, but deep inside him, he felt he was on fire. Gothika informed Darken about Isabella's physical condition and that Nyla came to her asking for help.

"She must have walked in a hurry or run when her ankle was still healing", Gothika said logically, then she looked at Darken whose face was plain, "About permission to come here, my lord…um.. Nyla told me that you ordered the best hospitality for your guest and I thought that….".

"Fine, Gothika…you may leave now", and without waiting for her response, he passed her and walked away.

* * *

><p>Isabella was sitting on the stuffed chair reading a book when she heard quiet knocks on the door. She looked at the door and said, "Enter". The door was opened and as soon as Isabella set her eyes on her visitor, she felt restless.<p>

Rahl entered and closed the door behind him, then walked till he reached the edge of the bed and stopped. There was still a fair distance between them. Isabella reluctantly closed the book and looked at him directly. She was still upset…and scared of what happened in the morning, but she wouldn't let him see her fear.

Darken knew that she wouldn't start, he was the one who came to talk to her after all, so he spoke first, "I was informed of your physical condition". She sighed and said nothing, but instead of looking at him, she looked at the book's decorated cover and ran her delicate fingertips on it.

When he got no answer from her, he decided to proceed with a faint smile, "You shouldn't have run away from me that day. You can clearly see what happened to you because of that". Isabella –slowly- raised her face to meet his eyes defiantly. If looks could kill, Isabella's looks at him would have killed him by now. For a moment, Darken cursed himself for what he just said. _"Is that's your plan of gaining her trust?", he thought._

He swallowed soundlessly and said in a steady voice, "I hope that Gothika was able to ease your pain". Again, he was met with silence, but that time it was mixed with a plain look.

Involuntarily, Darken looked at the queen-sized bed and the events of the last night and that morning flashed in front of his eyes. A smile came across his face; a smile that made him wonder when was the last time he had a true smile. He turned his eyes to Isabella who was watching him questionably, not understanding what he was doing. As his eyes met Isabella's, an idea came across Darken's mind, an idea that he knew was crazy, but he couldn't resist it. So, still smiling, Darken took two steps forward, and said, "I have an offer for you". Isabella tightened her grip on the book and Darken noticed that.

"Don't worry…. It's not what you think. That won't be an offer, right?"._ Damn you, Darken. Stop teasing her for the Creator's sake._

"I will accept no offer of you except your offer to send me home", Isabella said coldly.

"Oh… so I assume you won't accept my offer", Darken said calmly. "But again, I think I should propose it".

Isabella became impatient, so she supported herself on the chair arm to stand up and said nervously, "I am not….".

Darken interrupted, "Would you dine with me, Isabella?".

**So, tell me what you think of it. It's not such a big chapter; no huge events took place. I just wanted to show the building hate-hate relationship between Heather and Isabella. Heather –for sure- is going to fire back at Isabella. It's not safe to challenge a mord-sith, is it? And what about Darken, what is he planning to do? What are you planning for, lord Rahl?**

**I don't like not keeping my promises, but I will really try to update as soon as I can :)**


	13. Dine with the Lord

**Chapter 13: Dine with the Lord:**

Darken interrupted, "Would you dine with me, Isabella?".

Isabella froze in her tracks and stared at him, her mouth was open slightly. She kept looking at him with wide eyes, before sitting back slowly, still staring at him.

Moments passed slowly, while Isabella was still looking at Darken, trying to process what she just heard, and when he said nothing else, she opened her mouth and said, "I beg your pardon?!".

Darken smiled widely and said, "I am asking you to honor me with having dinner with me".

Isabella narrowed her eyes for a couple of seconds, then her eyes lit with anger and suddenly she shouted, "How could you even…?".

Darken raised his right hand and interrupted in a loud voice, "No".

Isabella stopped and looked at him defiantly. He looked upset for a moment then her features relaxed again. _Control yourself, Darken. You are here to gain her trust, not to lit her on fire._

After he composed himself, he said simply, "I am simply asking you to dine with me, Miss Knight. I think we have already agreed about the….limits of our...um… relationship, and, for the thousandth time, that you are my guest, and as your host, it's the least glimpse of hospitability I can show you".

Isabella tapped on the book in her hands nervously and bit her lower lip. She felt she was stuck with that person. All she wanted was going back home and he just kept dragging her in.

Darken stood there for a while waiting for her response; any response, but he got nothing but nervous tapping on the book she was holding, so he continued, "I am totally aware of your physical condition, so the dinner can wait till tomorrow, so that you may have more time to heal and feel better". Isabella looked at him for a moment, and then shook her head in disbelief.

Darken ignored that action; he only wanted to win that part…only that part and then things would be easy, or that's what he was thinking.

"So, what is your answer?", Darken asked calmly.

Isabella put the book on the small table next to the stuffed chair she was sitting on, then looked at him and said quietly, "If you think this is how you will make me change my point of view, I highly recommend that you re-consider your _generous_ offer".

Darken smiled and sat on the edge of the bed and said, "It's just a dinner, Isabella. What harm could be done?".

"What harm could be done? What harm could be done", she repeated, then she looked at him and said in a steady voice, "You are right; what harm could be done?", then she supported herself on the chair and got up, then she looked into his eyes and said, "The harm is already done, lord Rahl".

Darken looked at her questionably, narrowing his blue eyes, and before he could comment, she raised her head a little and said, "Your offer is accepted".

A faint smile was drawn on Darken's face, before he stood up and said, "Perfect", and then he turned to leave the room. He opened the door and before closing it behind him, he turned to her and said, "Tomorrow's evening, then", and he left.

As soon as he left, Isabella sat down again, threw her head backwards and sighed heavily, and then she rubbed her tired face nervously. She felt she couldn't breathe. Every time she got closer to leaving that place, something bad would happen; first her cursed ankle, and now that strange invitation. What may happen next?

But dining with him, what was he thinking of? What did he really want? So far, Isabella managed to escape every single trap he set for her, but what about that one?

Suddenly, Isabella felt scared. She didn't know what he really wanted that time and that wasn't making her fell any better. "May the Creator curse you, Isabella", she gritted on her teeth. "Why did you accept that poisonous offer?". She was so upset of herself; she suddenly didn't know why she approved. Was she trying to prove to him that she wasn't scared? But the truth is, she was scared, but she could control herself. Did she want to go on with his little game? No, that was definitely not in her mind, then why? But she already had no other choice; she would have dinner with lord Rahl.

The next day has come, and against Isabella's desire, the day passed so quickly and dinner's time was coming closer and closer. By afternoon, Rahl sent her a written note, reminding her of their engagement. As soon as she read it, she shed it and threw it away, and against her wish, it was time to get prepared for the new _battle_.

The night was falling, and Isabella has just left the bathroom when she heard soft knocks on the door.

"Come in, Nyla", Isabella said. She was able to recognize Nyla's knocks.

Nyla entered and closed the door behind her, then stood by the door, with a smile on her face.

"Yes, Nyla?", Isabella asked.

"I came to help you get dressed", Nyla said simply.

"Help me get dressed? I didn't tell….".

Nyla raised her eyebrows and said, "All the maids know that you will be having dinner with lord Rahl".

"All maids? What? Now Rahl is chatting with his maids?", Isabella said sarcastically.

"Um…no, of course not", Nyla said quickly, "But things can't be kept a secret here".

"Oh really? Rahl can't keep a secret? Whatever, it's not a secret anyway", Isabella said indifferently, "So?".

"I am…um… I just wanted to….".

"Fine, Nyla. Do whatever you want".

"Alright. Let's start with the dress. I will pick you one", then Nyla walked to the wardrobe and opened it.

Isabella didn't want to disappoint Nyla; she was always so enthusiastic, so she allowed her to _help_ her.

"What do you think of that?", Nyla asked, while holding a dress in her hands.

Isabella turned to see what Nyla was talking about, and once her eyes settled on the red dress in Nyla's hands, she looked away and said firmly, "NO".

"But mistress, it's….", Nyla said.

"I SAID NO", Isabella shouted.

"Alright, then. Let's find another one". Nyla looked back at the wardrobe, trying to find another dress that would appeal to her mistress.

"What about that? The fabric is so….", Nyla said.

"No", Isabella interrupted sharply.

"But mistress, it's….".

"Nyla?", Isabella warned.

Nyla swallowed and said in a low voice, "Is it because it's red?".

Isabella looked at Nyla and opened her mouth but Nyla said quickly, "Alright, mistress. I will find you something else…that's not in red".

Nyla kept searching the massive wardrobe for some time that Isabella looked at her and said sarcastically, "What's wrong, Nyla? Do Rahls wear red only? Don't they believe in other colors?".

Nyla said, still looking in the wardrobe, "Well…yes, mistress. Red is favored by the Rahl family, but sometimes…", she stopped for a moment, then she screamed in joy, "I found it".

"You startled me, Nyla", Isabella shouted.

"I found a dress that's not in red", Nyla took the dress over to Isabella to show it to her, "I hope you like it, mistress".

Isabella looked at the dress Nyla picked for her; the dress was blue, and made of navy teal that was covered by a layer of royal blue organza, with sleeves of organza only, and a shawl of blue teal. The dress was fabulous, and Isabella loved the blue color; it was her favorite.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?", Nyla asked hopefully.

"Yes, it is", Isabella said simply.

"Great", Nyla shouted joyfully. Isabella looked at her in surprise, and then they both burst out laughing.

A while later, Isabella was ready; the dress was a perfect match with the light blue shoes she wore, and the delicate clips that Nyla used to fasten some of Isabella's hair up. Isabella insisted that she could do her hair herself but…. Who can persuade Nyla to stop helping Isabella?! Although Isabella wore no accessories, she looked exquisite. She also put some cream on her ankle and wrapped it.

"You look so beautiful, mistress", Nyla said, then she continued quickly, "I mean you always look beautiful, but tonight you….".

"It's alright, Nyla. I understand", Isabella said with a smile.

"And now…time to accompany you to the royal dining hall", Nyla said happily.

Isabella looked at Nyla then at the chamber's door and said calmly, "Yes, it's time".

Nyla walked with Isabella till they were near the dining hall, then Nyla turned to Isabella and said, "I should leave you now". Isabella nodded in silence and watched till Nyla walked away, then turned and took a deep breath and continued walking till she reached the dining hall. One of the two guards silently opened the huge door for her. She stepped in, and found that Rahl was inside, standing by the window. The hall had a large dining table and a few tables at the corners for wine and some antiques, and there was another semi-open door but she didn't know where it led to.

As soon as she stepped in, he turned around and when he saw her, he smiled and signed for the guards to close the door. When the door was closed, he walked till he was standing in front of her, then he said, "It's such a pleasure that you accepted my offer".

"Stop the act, please", Isabella said in annoyance.

Darken looked at her for a few moments; she was so beautiful, no one can ever deny that, but he preferred not to keep looking at her for a long time, so he turned and walked to his chair on the opposite side of the table, "If you think I am acting", then he turned to her and said with a smile, "Which I am not", then he turned again and continued to his chair, "Then why did you accept to dine with me?".

"Do I have another choice?", Isabella asked reasonably.

"You always have a choice, Isabella. Even when you don't really have any, you….create one". Isabella knew what he was implying for; the night she stabbed herself to get rid of him.

"Please, have a seat", Darken knew it was inappropriate to have a lady sit by herself; he had to drag a chair for her, but he knew that every gesture he made –good or bad- was implying a bad intention from her point of view, so he preferred to let her sit by herself, though he noticed she was still limping a little.

Once they both sat down, he asked, "How is your injury? I hope you are healing fast enough?".

"Enough? Enough for what?".

Darken was about to say something but the door was open and an elderly maid entered and stood by the door. Once Rahl signed for her, she immediately walked towards him.

Rahl raised his hand and said plainly, but with a faint smile, "Our guest first".

The maid stopped in her tracks then looked at Isabella, then back at Rahl and nodded in silence, then turned and walked to where Isabella was sitting, and started pouring soup in her plate.

"Please, don't", Isabella said politely. The maid looked at her, confused.

"I don't like sea food. I am allergic to it", Isabella said.

"Then allow me to serve you another course, my lady", the maid said, politely, then she silently served her some chicken soup and some chicken with vegetables, and she poured some red wine for her, then she walked to Rahl and did the same.

"I will take chicken soup, like my guest", he said, looking at Isabella, who looked away. The maid nodded silently and did as he asked. Once the maid finished, she stood by the door waiting.

"Leave", Rahl ordered, without looking at her.

The maid immediately walked to the door. When she was closing the door behind her, Darken suddenly said, "Leave the door open". He wanted Isabella to feel as comfortable as possible. The maid obediently left the door open and left.

"I hope you are enjoying the dinner". Isabella raised her eyes to meet his.

"…and I also hope you won't regret accepting my chaste invitation".

"We may see", she whispered to herself.

"Shall we begin?", Darken said with a smile.

From behind the semi-open door, a pair of brown eyes were watching with both anger and disgust, and with all hatred, a voice said in a whisper, "Dear, rebellious girl, you have just put an end to your miserable short life with your own filthy hands".

**So, what do you think of it? Feel free to review **

**Unfortunately I won't be able to update any time soon because my final-exams are just a week later and I am already super-busy with studying and finishing some mini-projects and assignments, but I will try to update as soon as I finish my written exams. Wish me luck ;)**


	14. The Royal Dinner

**And finally, I have finished my written and oral final exams (Y) :D Just two more mini-projects and the graduation project and I will be a certified electronics engineer :D**

**I took the chance to write a new chapter before I get overwhelmed again with my projects. I hope you enjoy this new one.**

**Chapter 14: The Royal Dinner:**

"Shall we begin?", Darken said with a smile.

Isabella looked at him and sighed, then she delicately took the knife in one hand and the fork in the other and….

"Wait", Darken said suddenly.

Isabella looked at him, confused, then she saw a faint smile getting drawn on his face, then he took his cup in his left hand, raised it a little and said, "Shouldn't we make a toast first?".

"A toast? And what are your suggestions for a toast that gathers both of us?", she said sarcastically.

Darken thought for a couple of moments, then said, "For you; my fabulous guest". He waited for her to raise her cup, but she didn't.

"Don't you like the toast?", he asked.

"I don't drink wine", she said calmly.

"Excuse me?", Darken asked.

"I…don't drink wine", she repeated.

"You never drank?".

"I did, but I don't like drinking".

"And why is that?".

"I don't see the point", she said simply.

"What point?", he asked, confused.

"Of drinking", she said, like she was talking to a child.

"There is a point of drinking? Enlighten me, if you please", he said in sarcasm.

She put the knife and fork next to her plate, then she took the cup of wine in her hand, then looked at it and said, "Some people see it as some kind of amusement; they find their "merry" joy in getting drunk, while they can drink anything else, like water or juice. What is so special about wine? I never understood that".

"Point well taken, but at least you drank before".

"Special occasions".

"Like your….wedding, maybe?", he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, like my wedding, for sure", she said in a steady voice.

"And don't you think that dining with lord Rahl is a special occasion?", he said, smirking.

Isabella looked at him for a few moments, and then said, "I am sure you already know my answer".

Darken shrugged and said, smiling, "Alright, we can skip that part of drinking". Isabella –silently- put the cup of wine back and took a sip of water.

Darken waited for her till she put the cup of water back, then said, "Shall we begin?".

Again, Isabella took the knife and the fork in both her hands, cut a piece of chicken with the knife, took it with the fork and put it inside her mouth, then she took another piece, and as she chewed, she noticed Darken was watching her, while resting his chin on his right hand and smiling.

"What are you doing?".

"I enjoy your company, Isabella", he smiled widely, still watching her.

"Thank you", she said curtly.

_"I would like to enjoy you more, in other ways", he thought._

"…But I am not sure that's how you treat other girls; enjoying their company", she continued.

"But I don't see you like the others", he said, and then he took the cup of wine in his left hand and drank a little.

"How am I different?", she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Darken leaned forward a little and supported his chin on both his crossed fists, then he said, looking into her eyes, "Your looks, your voice, your words, your wisdom, your composure, your bravery, and your rebellious soul".

_"And your body, too", he thought._

Isabella listened to him, and then she took another sip of water, looked at her plate and said nothing.

When Darken noticed her silence, he asked, "Tell me, Isabella, what is it that makes a man's heart want a woman?".

Isabella raised her head up slowly, and then she narrowed her eyes and said, "I am not sure I know".

"Surely you know something; you are a woman after all".

"And you are…a man, you should know better about how men think".

"Well, let's say I am open to other perspectives", he said, determined to start that conversation with her.

Isabella put her plate aside, and then she crossed her fingers and said steadily, "A man wants a woman for love, for desire, and sometimes for very, very sick purposes".

"mmm", he murmured, and took a piece of chicken in his mouth.

"So, do you think that for everyone of us, there is "the one" out there somewhere? Waiting for us to find him…or her?", he asked, enjoying the taste of chicken.

Isabella looked at her left hand, and with her right thumb, she touched her left pinky sadly and said, "As a matter of fact, I do. You just need to be a little patient", then she looked up to him and said, "…and maybe then you will find someone that suites you". Isabella said the last part in disgust.

Darken didn't catch that, so he continued, saying, "Patience is a foolish virtue; it never gets you what you want when you want it".

"Such a strange act".

"What do you mean?".

"You don't believe in patience, and yet you have been more that patient with me". Darken leaned back and said nothing.

"…Surely such a noble act hides something else", she said. Again, he said nothing; he just crossed his arms and listened to her.

"…because when I am involved, you suddenly think that patience is a virtue that should be honored. Am I right?".

"Close enough, Isabella. Close enough".

It was her time to lean back as she said, "That's what I thought".

"So now you are blaming me for being nice with you?".

"You are not being nice. You are acting nice. There's a difference".

"mmm, and now you are testing my patience, too".

"You are the one who asked for that dinner, not me", she said in challenge.

"I asked for a dinner, not a battle", he said calmly.

"Wherever you and I happen to be in the same place, battle takes place".

"No peace?".

"No", she answered quickly.

"Because you see me as a murderer?".

"Not only me".

"How could you be so sure that what you see is right?".

"What are you suggesting? An illusion?".

"No, not really. But, everything happens for a reason".

"That's not an answer".

"I mean that you saw only one side of the story, maybe you should know the other side to get the complete picture".

"I think I can live with only half of the picture".

"Really? Then maybe I –too- can live with my half; the one that doesn't include how my people think of me".

"How could you ask me to be objective when you are not?", she started to feel angry.

"What do you mean?".

"If the ruler only cares about his thoughts, not caring about what people think or how they live in his reign, how could he ask people to do the opposite? How could you possibly ask others to see the whole picture when you are blind enough not to see anything around you". She was talking fast and angrily.

Darken slowly took a sip of his wine, then looked at Isabella and said calmly, "Maybe if I have found such a courageous person who would make me face my imperfections, I would have changed earlier", and he took a piece of chicken with his fork.

"Some mistakes are too late to be fixed".

Darken's hands freezed. He felt his heart skipped a beat. _No, don't say that. Not you, please._

"Some mistakes have to be fixed, no matter how much time passed", he said, trying to seem indifferent.

"You know better".

_"Seriously, where does she get all those bitter words from?", he thought._

At that moment, Darken was boiling from the inside. Her words hurt like a dagger, so he thought that changing the subject would be the best option, yet he didn't know that his choice would be so wrong.

He re-filled his cup of wine slowly, then said in a low voice, "Who is she?".

"Sorry?".

"Who is she?", he repeated.

"Who are you talking about?", Isabella asked.

"The one in the dream".

"What….?". Isabella suddenly figured out what he was talking about.

Darken knew from the look in her eyes that she understood what she meant, so he continued, "So, won't you tell me who is she?".

"No", she said quickly.

"I heard you screaming for someone in the dream. You sounded like you were in pain".

"That's enough", she said in a low voice.

"You were shouting _'Don't take her, don't touch her'_".

"Enough please", she said louder.

"….and then you said _'they killed her'_". She looked away and she seemed in pain, emotional pain.

"Who is she? Your mother? Your daughter? Your sister?", he kept asking.

She looked at him and said, "Stop it".

Darken didn't seem that he even heard her, "…but you don't have children, and your mother…no, not your mother, she wasn't killed, right? You told me that".

"Just stop it", Isabella shouted.

Darken looked at the window, thinking, "One of the girls that you saved? No, none of them were hurt, you already…..".

"SHUT UP", she screamed as loud as she could, throwing her plate away on the marble floor. Darken looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time. He was startled by her reaction.

"HOW DARE YOU?!", she screamed at his face. She stood up, and walked towards the door.

"I asked a simple question", he said, not really understanding what was driving her crazy.

She turned to him and shouted, "You have no right to interfere".

"I can help you", he said, sincerely.

"Excuse me?", she said, sarcastically.

"If this person is someone you care for and she was taken, I can get her back". Isabella just smiled sadly.

"I am lord Rahl. I can order….".

"Please, just stop", Isabella said in a low voice.

"But, Isabella, my offer is sincere, I mean it", he said, trying to persuade her to believe him.

"I said, _'please'_", she pleaded.

Darken looked at her, surprised. What is that matter that would make her say _"please"_ to him?

Isabella rubbed her eyes, and said, "I think I should call this night off", then she turned.

"Wait!", Darken shouted.

Isabella turned to him and said, "It was wrong to accept this offer in the first place. My mistake.", then she turned again and walked to the door.

"No, wait", Darken actually jumped off his chair and ran to her, preventing her from leaving by standing in front of her.

"I apologize for my late behavior", he said. Isabella looked away and said nothing. Right now all she wanted was to leave.

"I was just wondering…", he tried to explain.

Isabella looked at him and said, "We all wonder about things, things that are hidden from our sight, or our minds, and sometimes those things are…private".

"But….".

"…and private means, that no one can get an access to it".

"I only wanted to….".

"….and _anyone_ includes lord Rahl".

"I just wanted to help", Darken said, raising his voice a little bit. That time he really wanted to help, and he hated that she didn't believe him.

"No, you don't want to help. You want to conquer".

"What are you…?", he asked, puzzled.

She raised her left hand and said firmly, "Please, let me finish". Darken stopped and signed for her to continue.

Isabella took a few steps backwards and said, still looking at him, "You want to conquer me. You want to defeat me, to break me".

"I never wanted to break you".

"You want to break the ugly statue of you that lies here", and she pointed to her head.

"….and you want to defeat the feeling I have towards you here", and she put her hand on her heart.

"I don't want to break you", he repeated.

"But you want to conquer me". Darken swallowed and said nothing.

"…my mind, my heart, my thoughts", she continued.

"You are a different person, that's why I am interested in getting to know you".

"You are a different person, too, but I don't wish to get to know you better. Actually, keeping you at arm's length is the best option for me", she said, then she tried to move away from him but he wouldn't let her.

"Maybe you are wrong", he insisted.

"I think I will know myself better than that".

"I mean, maybe your idea about me is wrong".

"I don't think so".

"You are so sure?".

"Not always, but I am sure about that particular matter".

"Maybe you need more time to know me better".

"Spending time with you isn't an option, lord Rahl. It's out of question", she said firmly.

"I can prove that I am not such a bad person".

"Give me one proof that you are not a bad person and I will give you a hundred proofs that you are". Darken looked at her and sighed heavily.

"…and believe me when I say: I can gather my proofs before you even blink". Again he said nothing, so she continued, "It seems my task is much easier that yours".

At that moment, Darken stepped away from her and said, "Then maybe you don't need my help".

"If I need help, you will be the last one that I would turn to".

"Yes, I can see that. You made your point crystal clear".

For a moment, Isabella saw a look of sadness on his face, but she just looked away and said, "I think that's enough for tonight", and…

"Maybe I am the one who needs your help".

Isabella didn't look at him, but she said, "You are far beyond being helped, lord Rahl".

Darken walked to the window and stood there, then said, "Maybe that's what everyone kept telling me that I started to believe them and turned into what I am now".

Isabella turned to face him and said, "Please don't justify….".

Darken interrupted her quietly, "Help…a word that was never offered to me. So, what did you expect in return? A holy man?".

Isabella didn't answer immediately, she kept looking around her, watching the big walls that were covered in red and gold perfectly-drawn patterns, and the huge glass windows with red and gold curtains, then she looked at him and said, "A _man_ would be enough; a human".

**What do you think of it? Share your thoughts, please **

**I will be back as soon as I can get rid of all these projects :D**

**NOTE:**

**Just to be honest, that sentence **_**"Patience is a foolish virtue; it never gets you what you want when you want it" **_**isn't of my creation. I burrowed it from a scene between King Zad and Kyra, in "The Beast-master" TV series. It's one of my favorites.**


	15. Be the change you want to see

**Chapter 15: Be the change you want to see:**

Isabella returned as quickly as she could to her chamber, trying not to hurt her ankle for the hundredth time. She didn't expect the dinner to go that way. As a matter of fact, she knew she wouldn't get along with Rahl, as always, but that time, it was completely different. They were both so exposed, so vulnerable, and unluckily, they both knew that. She saw how desperate he was, and –damn her- she let him see how emotional she was.

_"Help…a word that was never offered to me. So, what did you expect in return? A holy man?"._

Those unexpected words…he said those words so quietly. So quietly that she felt he was afraid someone else other than him would hear. That was the first time Isabella could admit that she believed the sorrow that lied within his words. She saw him when he said it. She saw into him when he said it. He meant every word. But unluckily, that wouldn't make anything easier. Why would he share such a moment with her? There was no game about it, she was sure of that. They were both far beyond playing games anymore. And now things were getting more complicated. Isabella didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to believe anymore. That night, they both showed one another a new part of their emotions. They both hurt each other in a bad way….both intentionally and unintentionally. The dream that she had...bringing it up at the dinner table and insisting to know what it was about. Actually, being with her in her chamber that other night was so unbelievable. Among all living souls, why on earth would she share that particular painful emotion with that particular man? Maybe he was right when he said that somehow they were attached no matter what they both did to escape that. Maybe she should let go and accept the fact that there was a bond; a bond that she couldn't break, a bond that kept her in that place for that long. "Was that meant to be?", she thought. Why was she here? What was the purpose?

"What are you doing here exactly, Isabella Knight?", she told herself while closing the door of her chamber behind her and rushing to bed to ease her tired body.

* * *

><p>Next day, Isabella –as always- spent her day in her chamber, reading. It was the only way available to pass time in that place. She needed her mind fully occupied for now. She certainly didn't want to think of yesterday's events.<p>

It was near sunset and Isabella was sitting by the big window, reading, when she heard soft knocks on her door.

"Come in", she said. The door was open, and Nyla stepped in.

"Mistress?", said Nyla.

Though Isabella hated that word and tried many times to persuade Nyla to stop calling her that, all her efforts were in vain.

"Yes, Nyla? Come inside, please", Isabella said, smiling to Nyla.

Nyla closed the door behind her and walked to where Isabella was sitting.

"How is your ankle?", Nyla asked.

"It's getting better, actually. I think it's healing properly this time, thank the creator", Isabella said, looking at her ankle and moving her foot in small circles just to make sure it was really healing properly.

"That's great, mistress. I always pray for you", Nyla said, smiling.

"Thank you, Nyla", Isabella said in gratitude.

"Can I ask you for something, mistress?", Nyla asked politely.

"Sure, Nyla. Anything you want", Isabella said simply.

"I need to leave early today".

"Ummm, sure, Nyla, but …is everything alright? Are you alright?", Isabella asked in concern. She thought Nyla was sick or something like that.

"Oh, yes, mistress. Everything is great. It's just that my sister gave birth a few days ago and we decided to have a small celebration today".

Isabella's face lightened up. "Oh, Nyla! Congratulations. Why didn't you tell me before?".

"Well, mistress….you weren't in the right mood and…um….". Isabella understood what Nyla meant. "I understand", Isabella nodded. There was pause for a few moments before Isabella said, "You should have told me before. I would have gladly sent you to your sister's house since she was in labor. I can take care of myself here".

"I didn't want to leave you alone", Nyla said in a low voice, and for the second time, Isabella understood what Nyla meant.

"I am fine, Nyla. I really am, and I will definitely feel better when you go and be by your family's side".

"Thank you, mistress", Nyla said gratefully.

"No, Nyla. Thank you for caring", Isabella said sincerely. Again, there was a pause for a few moments before Nyla said, "So, can I….?", then she pointed to the closed door.

"Oh, sure. Go", Isabella answered quickly. "And please send my sincere congrats to your sister".

"Sure mistress. Thank you", Nyla said happily, and then she turned and walked to the door. Isabella watched her as she opened the door, but before Nyla stepped out of the chamber, Isabella called for her.

"Nyla, wait", Isabella shouted suddenly.

Nyla was startled, but she turned quickly to face her mistress. "Yes, mistress?".

Isabella placed the book on the table next to her chair then she stood up and said, "I... Can I ask you a question before you go?".

"Sure", Nyla replied quickly.

"Why are you working here, Nyla?". Nyla looked at Isabella, puzzled. She didn't understand what Isabella meant.

"I mean, why are you working in the people's palace?".

"My parents used to work here", Nyla answered simply.

"That doesn't seem like a reason", Isabella said patiently.

"Well, I grew up knowing that my parents serve the house of Rahl, and when I became old enough to work, I started serving it, too".

"Why didn't you work somewhere else?".

"I…I don't know", Nyla shrugged.

"Don't you sometimes feel that you want to leave that place and never come back?".

"Mistress…I know what I say could sound insane to you, but this place is not that bad. I am being treated nicely and no one ever hurt me".

"Just because the harm hasn't been directed to you, doesn't mean that it's not out there", Isabella said in disgust and looked through the window.

"But, mistress, Lord Rahl is our king. We can't….".

"We Can't. We Can't. We Can't.", then Isabella turned to face Nyla. "I hate that word. I wish I could hear anything that you 'can' actually do".

"But mistress, we really can't oppose our king. He is very strong", then she took a few steps forwards and said in a low voice, "He came back from death".

"Stop doing this Nyla. Stop being so irresponsive. You are not a slave, so don't act like one".

"I understand you are mad because you want to go home, but someday you will understand".

"Understand what?", Isabella yelled in frustration.

"That things change by time. People change by time. Nothing stays as it is forever. I agree that lord Rahl was …bad, but after he came back, things changed. They didn't change completely, but things aren't as bad as it was before".

"Just go, Nyla", Isabella said, holding her head with both hands. Nyla stood still, looking at Isabella sadly.

"Just go, please", Isabella said, trying not to shout. Nyla silently bowed for Isabella, then turned and left the chamber quickly. As soon as Nyla closed the door behind her, Isabella sat back on the chair beside the window and said, "Enjoy your happy moments as much as you can, because it will be ripped away from you in a blink of an eye".

* * *

><p>By the time it was evening, Isabella felt that she would lose her sanity if she stayed any longer in that chamber. She really needed to go somewhere else. She needed to get out. She was not used to being alone. Back in Carden, she was always busy, running the inn, surrounded by people all day, but now she felt lonely, especially that Nyla left, too. Rahl told her that she was welcome to take a tour in the palace and the garden, and since she was stuck in that place till…actually, she didn't know till when, so maybe she should take advantage of every possibility she was offered to make the time pass easier. So, after a little thinking, Isabella decided to leave the chamber and walk outside for a while. She took a shawl from the huge wardrobe and placed it securely around her shoulders and she stepped out of the door. As soon as she was outside the chamber, she looked around for any guards, but she didn't see any, which was strange. Didn't Rahl leave guards by her chamber? Not that it mattered, she wouldn't be able to escape anyway, but still, she expected a few guards by her door.<p>

Pushing that thought aside for the moment, she closed the door behind her, and started walking down the long corridor. Though she had no idea where that corridor led to, and though she might run into Rahl at any moment, which was a very undesirable wish for her, she felt a little bit free, getting out of that chamber. As she walked down the endless corridor, still surprised that she met no guards till now, she was stopped by a giant drawing that was hung on the wall. It was a map; a map of D'Hara and the near-by lands. Isabella wasn't sure, but she assumed it was drawn with high accuracy…and gold! It was definitely drawn with gold and the names of the cities and boundaries were written with red ink. She looked closer and read the name 'Carden' near the top. She reached out for it and touched the beautifully calligraphed name with the tips of her fingers. She swallowed heavily and felt pain in her chest. She longed for her home and all what she had left of it was its name on a map.

"Finally", a voice came from behind. Isabella was startled and gasped sharply, but as soon as she laid her eyes on the intruder, she straightened her back and said, "Excuse me?".

"You finally decided to leave your chamber and take a tour in my palace", Rahl said in amusement.

"I am not taking a tour. I am just bored", Isabella said, looking both left and right.

"Nyla should be a good company".

Isabella looked at Rahl and said, "She is…", she was about to tell him that Nyla wasn't there, but for some unknown reason, she thought it would be better if she didn't tell him, so instead she said, "She can't stay with me all day".

"That's why she was assigned to serve you".

"I don't need to be served, and I definitely don't need anyone to be stuck with me all day".

"Alright. Whatever you wish for", Rahl said simply.

Isabella tried to look anywhere but at his face, but it was a little too hard since he was standing in front of her, smiling for an unknown reason. So, trying to end that strange situation, she said, "Why are there no guards here?".

"Guards are not allowed in this part of the palace", he shrugged.

"I saw guards in that 'part of the palace' when I came here the first time", Isabella said.

Rahl smiled faintly and said, "I sent them away".

"Why?", Isabella insisted.

"I thought it would make you a little more comfortable", he said calmly, looking at her, but he got no response; just a plain look and no reply.

They stood there for a few moments looking at each other awkwardly, then Isabella took the chance to speak, so she pointed to the corridor and said, "May I?". She wanted to leave as soon as she could.

"Sure", Rahl said quickly. Isabella looked at him for a moment, and then she turned and started walking. She only took a few steps before she heard him saying, "I guess you wouldn't accept another dinner invitation, would you?".

Isabella stopped walking, took a deep breath then turned to face him and said, "Your guess is absolutely right".

Darken bit his bottom lip and said, "Such a shame. I really enjoyed last night's dinner".

"You did?", she said in surprise, then she turned away and started walking. "Unbelievable", she muttered.

"You are right. It was unbelievable", he said, and for her surprise, he sounded happy.

"What exactly do you want?", Isabella turned to him and shouted.

"I already told you before", Darken said quietly.

"All you say is riddles, nothing more, nothing less".

"Because you always talk in riddles".

"You are not forced to listen".

"But I want to".

"I am tired of this game", she said angrily.

"I am not playing anymore", he said simply.

"Just name what you want. This cat-rat game isn't funny anymore".

"I have an offer for you".

"Again?", she asked sarcastically.

"It's different this time", he smiled.

"Surprise me, please".

Darken took two steps forwards, and instinctively, Isabella tightened the shawl around her shoulders, but that time, Darken didn't laugh at her, he just stood there and looked into her shiny green eyes for a moment and said, "Be my first advisor".

Isabella felt like she was struck by lightning. She stood in front of Rahl, her mouth slightly open, her mind unable to process what her ears just heard. She was waiting to hear him laughing or saying, _"Did you really believe that?"._

When she heard no response from him, she finally managed to say in a husky voice, "What?".

"I am asking you to be my advisor. Be the voice of the people you're trying to protect. Be their contact here. Be the lost ring in the chain".

Isabella was shaking her head. She could do nothing else but shaking her head in disbelief.

"You want D'Hara to be a better place, then accept my offer", Darken said in a steady voice.

Isabella was breathing hard. She put her hand on her forehead, trying to calm herself down.

Darken didn't stop. He wouldn't stop now. He was determined to do that no matter what happened. He was going to persuade her to stay by his side. "You will be given unlimited authorities. Only my authorities will be higher than yours. I have seen how you were looking at that map, how you were looking at your city with longing. If you become my advisor, you will not be kept here against your will…not anymore. You will be able to go back every now and then", then he leaned closer and said, "Only you can defy me so bravely. Only you can talk to me so bravely. We are a match whether you admit it or not. You have a…. you have something that makes me always wonder 'what if'?".

Isabella raised her head to look at him. "What if what?".

Darken smiled and said, "What if everything changed to better? To the best?". Isabella shook her head and said nothing.

"Imagine what you can do to help the people". Isabella kept looking at him unbelievably. She just couldn't understand what he was saying. That was way too much for her.

Darken reached for her hands that were grasped around the shawl but he didn't touch them. He sighed and said in a low voice, "Stay here. Stay with me". Isabella looked at his hand which was just an inch away from hers, but she didn't pull back.

"You want to see a change?". It was more of a statement than a question.

She looked at him and said in a low voice, "Yes".

"Be the change you want to see in the world".

Suddenly, Isabella felt that she was hit by something. She pulled away from him and said, "You are exploiting my…".

"No", he said calmly.

"You have…", she shouted.

"I am not". He was never as calm as he was at that moment.

"Be the one who brings goodness to this city, Isabella", he said.

"You and Goodness don't come together", she managed to speak with a steady voice.

"There is a first time for everything". She smiled sarcastically.

"You are brave, Isabella. You can take that risk".

She narrowed her eyes and asked suspiciously, "What risk?".

"The risk of believing in me".

**I am truly sorry for delaying the new update for so long. Things haven't been going well for me the last few months and I suffered from writer's block. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter, and share your thoughts about it with me, please :)**

**"Be the change you want to see in the world", said by Mahatma Gandhi. Chapeau for Gandhi. **


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